The 1st International Women’s Summit took place in Germany

10 December 2017, Germany

KADEM Founding President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sare Aydın and Member of the Board Sezen Güngör attended the 1st International Women’s Summit organised by the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, and the UETD General Headquarters Women’s Branch in Germany, with the theme ‘War and Woman’.

At the summit where the lives of millions of women who have been experiencing war in many different regions, from Bosnia to Myanmar were elaborated on, KADEM Founding President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sare Aydın made a presentation entitled “Syrian Refugee Women.” Drawing attention to the state of the Syrian Refugees in the world and in Turkey, in her speech, Aydın described Turkey’s self-sacrifice in the context of the refugees’ admission into the country, and the services Turkey provided them thereafter. Aydın pointed out that Europe saw the refugees as a security problem and an economic burden, which led refugees resorting to illegal means in entering Europe, which frequently resulted in their death, while those who succeeded in entering were subjected to a racist treatment. Aydın emphasised on the fact that Turkey, however, approached refugees first and foremost in a humanitarian manner, and, adopting an ‘open door’ policy, provided them with services in every field such as accommodation, health, education and employment in 21 temporary accommodation centres across the country, as well as in its cities.

“The real victims of the war are women and children”

Asserting that the real victims of war are women and children, Aydın emphasizes on the fact that special efforts should be made for these vulnerable groups. Also recounting the work carried out for refugee women by KADEM, which has been closely involved in the problems of the Syrian refugees, and especially women refugees, in Turkey, Aydın provided details on the ‘Refugee Women Socioeconomic Studies and Integration Centre” project, which is conducted jointly by KADEM and AFAD, and which targets to achieve the economic, social and psychological integration of refugee women.

In her speech, Aydın elaborated on the 69th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Human Rights, and commented on the US decision regarding Palestine. Aydın stated, “On the international human rights day I make a call to the USA, which announced that it will recognize Jerusalem in occupied Palestine as capital city in contradiction with all international decrees, to acknowledge and respect international law and rights.”