The one Erdoğan Fears: the Kurdish and Feminist Journalist Öznur Değer
In front of me, a 23-year-old woman. With unflappable conviction, she proudly claims her Kurdish nationality and fervently defends her rights, her language, her culture, her origins in short. This woman is Öznur Değer, a Kurdish and feminist journalist working for the newspaper JinNews. She embodies everything Erdoğan and his government fear and despise the most. And…
Motherhood, Suicide and Forced Adoption: My Family’s Story
“Does Mommy abuse me?” I was about ten years old and had been fighting this sharp pain of conflict in my chest for some time. It consisted of what felt like butterflies on fire, clamoring to escape but with no known exit. I didn’t look like what abused children were supposed to look like. I had…
5 Ways You Can Support Women
We all have opportunities each day to empower the women in our lives. But, when you want your reach to extend beyond those that you already know, it’s time to get out into your community. Inequality exists, and not just in the workplace. Here are five ways that women and men alike can help level the…
Myths and Facts About Menstruation
Menstruation taboos and stigma, which restrict girls and women from leading a normal life or participating in family and school, are severely debilitating and oppressive for women. Stigma combined with lack of access to sanitary products and proper knowledge on managing periods put girls and women at a disadvantage and are contraindicative to achieving gender equality.…
Paid period leaves, lower tampon taxes and free sanitary products: progress on women’s needs around the world
Although positive developments have been made, commitments both from governments and the private sector around the world are necessary to stop considering topics such as menstruations as taboos. Paid period leaves, different taxes on tampons in every country, and a list of places where governments provide free menstrual products, let’s dive into this! Paid period…
November 25th: Turkish Women’s Blood Flows, Resistance Spreads
On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a taste of struggle and a taste of equality is imprinted on every screaming lip! We are in Kizilay, in the hyper center of Ankara, Turkey. Women of all ages are singing to the rhythm of the violations of their rights. They screech in the…
16 Days of 365 days? Let’s Talk about Economic Violence
Every year from 25 November to 10 December the world commemorates 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. For the last 15 days, the world is buzzing with webinars, Twitter chats, TikTok challenges, Instagram reels, talking against all forms of violence perpetrated against girls and women. Does this make me happy? Yes! Is…
Menstruation Stigma And Mental Health- A Silent Connection
Menstruation Let us start by defining Menstruation as the periodic discharge of blood and tissue from the uterus, from puberty until menopause. It is a necessary biological function experienced by half of the population. It is similar to other biological functions such as sleeping, breathing, urinating and so on. Menstruation: Stigma And Taboos Despite roughly…
Arranged Marriage, Name Change and Feminism – Story of a Small-Town Girl
Telephone conversation between two arrange marriage prospects: Guy: So, feminist han? I don’t understand what is the problem of feminazis like you? Why can’t you obey a simple tradition? Not only in India, but in most of the countries, women take their husband’s surname after marriage. Children get their father’s surname. That’s how…
Force in Interdependence
Battling with my Identity and Trying to prove my Worth I was born and raised in Nigeria. I grew up wondering about my identity and, more importantly, my self-worth. But there was always a part of me that wanted to be a leader and assist other females to become leaders. I was interested in learning…
