Paylaş
There are still 113,000 citizens living in 74 container settlements. While men go to work and children go to school, women spend their days confined to a tiny 21-square-metre space. Cooking, cleaning, childcare…
Malatya… Exactly two years have passed since the February 6 earthquakes. The wounds are still fresh, and the pain has not subsided. The city is trying to recover, but women are bearing the greatest burden.
On March 8, International Women’s Day, the reality for women in Malatya is unfortunately not the struggle for labour rights associated with March 8, but a struggle for survival and to make their own realities visible. I call it a struggle for survival because women are becoming increasingly exhausted with each passing day.
There are still 113,000 citizens living in 74 container settlements. While men go to work and children go to school, women spend their days confined to a tiny 21-square-metre space. Cooking, cleaning, childcare…
All the responsibilities rest on their shoulders. March 8 is approaching, but how much of it truly reaches the women of Malatya? The trauma caused by the earthquake and the harsh living conditions have drawn women into what feels like a vortex. At a time when they are becoming more tired and exhausted every day, how possible is it to commemorate March 8 and defend their rights?
So, what can pull women out of this vortex? Solidarity, the willingness to stand shoulder to shoulder, and the opportunity to become aware of their own realities… Women’s organizations in Malatya have a great responsibility. But what do we see? While each of them tries to fill the day in small groups scattered across different parts of the city, thousands of women in container settlements, homes, workplaces and factories are caught in a vortex of loneliness.
Unfortunately, we do not see enough events or awareness-raising efforts in Malatya. Women cannot find sufficient support to make their voices heard. March 8 is not merely a day of commemoration; it is also a day of struggle. Unfortunately, instead of taking action to find solutions to the problems faced by women in Malatya, women’s organizations, civil society organizations and authorities seem content to simply “put a carnation in each woman’s hand” and leave it at that…
We, as women, say this: you may not like one another, and your ideas may not align, but when it comes to a shared cause, come together under one roof so that you can have an impact on us and on our lives. We, as women, want strong solidarity.
Otherwise, you can keep your minimalist statements and flowers that you use to try to give meaning to that day!
I believe that women’s organizations in Malatya making separate statements does nothing to address women’s problems. On the contrary, this situation causes women’s voices to become even weaker. When there is the possibility of coming together under one roof and carrying out a shared struggle, statements made in small groups do little more than get through the day.
Women’s organizations need to focus on the real problems faced by women in Malatya. Living conditions in container settlements, economic hardships, psychological trauma…
These are among women’s most urgent problems. To find solutions to these issues, women’s organizations must act together and build a strong network of solidarity.
Instead of distributing carnations on March 8, actions should be taken to amplify women’s voices and defend their rights. Women’s organizations, civil society organizations and authorities must take action to find solutions to the problems faced by women in Malatya.
Let us not forget: without solidarity, without struggle, nothing will change.
This article was prepared in 2025 by journalist Bergizar Abiri Şimşek as part of the Local Women Journalists Network Project.
