The event, which was held under the theme of “For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality and Empowerment”, was held at the İrfan Günsel Congress Center. The opening speeches of the event, which brought together many participants from politics, the judiciary and many professional groups, were made by the Vice President of the National Assembly Fazilet Özdenefe, MP İzlem Gürçağ Altuğra, Retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Narin Ferdi Şefik, Özay Günsel Children’s University Board of Trustees President Anna Günsel and the Head of the Near East University Gender Research and Application Center Assoc. Prof. Dr. İzlem Kanlı.

Following the full-day event, the “March 8 International Women’s Day Exhibition” exclusively prepared by the academic artists of the Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design and the artists of the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts was opened by President Ersin Tatar at the İrfan Günsel Congress Center Exhibition Hall.

The place of women was discussed from law to politics, from economy to media!
In the first session of the event where women’s rights in economic, legal, political and educational fields were discussed, Prof. Dr. Fatma Güven Lisaniler addressed the economic dimension of women’s rights, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eylem Ümit Atılgan addressed the legal dimension, Prof. Dr. Nur Köprülü addressed the political dimension and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Süheyla Üçışık Erbilen addressed the educational dimension.

The second session of the event was organized in memory of journalist Perihan Aziz. Following the screening of the documentary “Perihan Aziz” made by the (KÖDER) Women’s Stories Association, journalist-writer Nezire Gürkan provided information about Perihan Aziz and focused on the role of women in the media world. The last session of the event was on the “Role and Importance of Women in Gastronomy” panel. The panel evaluated the place of women in the tourism and gastronomy sectors, and featured speakers from researcher and writer Kıymet Alibey, entrepreneur Çiğdem Burhan and chef Zehra Özcan.

Fazilet Özdenefe: “There are 11 women in the National Assembly of the Republic, this representation should increase with solidarity!
Starting her speech by emphasizing that it is very important for the Near East University Gender Research and Application Center to continue its women’s studies with a multidisciplinary approach, Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic Fazilet Özdenefe said, “These studies carried out at our Near East University are very important in terms of strengthening the representation of women in a wide range of areas from education to health.”

Continuing by commenting on the place of women in social life from politics to economy, Özdenefe said, “We have come a long way compared to the past in the field of women’s rights and representation. However, the point we have reached is still not an acceptable point.” Özdenefe, who also touched on the subject of “representation of women in politics”, stated that the number of women MPs in the Republican Assembly has increased compared to the past. Özdenefe, who said, “This increase in representation was possible thanks to women’s solidarity and such activities,” reminded that women in the country could not receive equal pay for equal work until 1977 and did not have the right to vote and be elected until 1960. Özdenefe, who stated that the number of women MPs in the Republican Assembly has increased to 11 today, emphasized that this is not enough and said, “There are no women in the Cabinet in this country. In the business world, women are not in the position they deserve.” Özdenefe, who stated that women’s solidarity also lies at the basis of legal regulations regarding women’s rights, said, “We paved the way for the gender quota and changes in the family law together. However, it is not enough to just change the legislation, a transformation of mentality should be ensured in every area of ​​life.”

İzlem Gürçağ Altuğra: “If women are happy, society is happy. If women are peaceful, the country is peaceful.”
Nicosia Deputy İzlem Gürçağ Altuğra, who stated that the place of women in society has undergone great changes throughout history, said, “In the past, women struggled with identity loss and worthlessness, but today they are considered the cornerstone of society.” İzlem Gürçağ Altuğra, who emphasized that women should be active not only within the family but also in social, economic and scientific areas, said, “If women are happy, society is happy. If women are peaceful, the country is peaceful. If women are prosperous, if women are hopeful, the society is that much more prosperous and hopeful for the future.”

İzlem Gürçağ Altuğra, who stated that women should work, produce and take an active role in shaping society, said that this is critical for a country’s progress. İzlem Gürçağ Altuğra, who pointed out that full gender equality has not been achieved today, said, “In order for women to reach the position they deserve, it is of great importance to increase social awareness and implement policies that will strengthen gender equality. A society that excludes its women has become a completely different crowd.”

Narin Ferdi Şefik: “Mighty women create mighty societies.”
Retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Narin Ferdi Şefik drew attention to the importance of raising awareness, discussing inequalities and examining solutions. Addressing the legal deficiencies in these issues in her speech, Şefik stated that the Family Law, which entered into force in 1998, eliminated some of the victimizations that women experienced after marriage. Emphasizing that there are still issues that need to be addressed today, Şefik stated that the issue of “inheritance” in particular should be re-evaluated. Emphasizing that political parties, civil society organizations and relevant institutions have a great responsibility in solving the problems women face, Şefik said, “Female candidates should be preferred not just because they have the word ‘woman’ on their ID cards, but because they are qualified. We, women in particular, should be careful to support female candidates.”

Anna Günsel: “A child’s dream should be shaped according to their talent, not their gender.”
Özay Günsel Children’s University Board of Trustees Chair Anna Günsel, who emphasized that they came together to advance gender equality and women’s rights, said, “The active and effective presence of women in education, business, politics and every area of ​​life is the guarantee of our future,” and indicated that this struggle is everyone’s responsibility. Stating that gender equality is not a choice but an indispensable element of a developed and peaceful society, Anna Günsel said, “We cannot achieve gender equality without ensuring equal opportunities in education. That is why we have to support girls from a very young age.” Stating that they act with this awareness as Özay Günsel Children’s University, Anna Günsel said, “A child’s dream should be shaped in accordance with their talent, not their gender. We produce projects for girls’ equal participation in science, art, technology and sports. We open up space for children to discover themselves and their talents.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. İzlem Kanlı: “As long as the voices of women and girls are not heard, it is not possible to talk about social equality.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. İzlem Kanlı, Head of the Near East University Gender Research and Application Center, emphasized that March 8 International Women’s Day is “not a day of celebration, but a day of seeking rights and solidarity,” and drew attention to the historical struggle of women. Stating that as the Gender Research and Application Center, they aim to directly touch society in addition to academic studies, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanlı stated that they have implemented many projects in line with the theme of “Rights, equality and empowerment for women and girls.” Stating that they carry out a wide range of social awareness activities with their collaborations, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanlı said that they volunteer to provide training for women in prison to be integrated into society. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kanlı also stated that they develop solution-oriented projects by collecting data on issues such as child marriages and forced marriages, and said, “In addition, our center, which conducts interdisciplinary studies, aims to develop projects on the effects of gender inequality problems in the field of health. Because we know that it is not possible to talk about social equality unless the voices of women and girls are heard.”