As the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM), we organized a panel titled ““Ever Present”: (In)visibility of Women in Oral Cultural Heritage, Myths, Legends, Folk Tales” in New Delhi, the capital of India, within the scope of the 20th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee Meeting for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The panel was moderated by our Board Member Dr. Sevim Zehra Can Kaya, and featured speeches by our Chairwoman of the Board, Atty. Dr. Canan Sarı, Prof. Dr. Dursun Ali Tökel, and Prof. Dr. Evrim Ölçer Özünel. The discussion examined the traces of women in Turkish oral cultural heritage, spanning from myths and epics to folk tales and contemporary narratives. Alongside symbolic figures such as Ak Ana, Telli Hanım, Banu Çiçek, and Selcen Hatun, the panel also evaluated unnamed female figures in folk stories who transform life through their wisdom, insight, and resilience.
It was emphasized that in oral culture, women appear as mothers, wise figures, healers, mediators, heroes, founders, and often as guiding agents who shape events with their intellect from behind the scenes.
In her speech, our Chairwoman, Atty. Dr. Canan Sarı, stated:
“It is a reality that when women’s presence in oral tradition remains hidden, our shared heritage becomes incomplete. Our social memory then turns into a one-sided story. Cultural heritage is not only about preserving the past. It is a living space that encourages dialogue, strengthens bonds between generations, and builds social harmony.”
She also noted that this panel offered an important opportunity to reassess the narratives of oral culture passed down through generations from a gender equality perspective and to make visible the patterns related to women’s representation.
By stating that “intangible cultural heritage is the bearer of collective memory,” we drew attention to the fact that rendering women’s voices, labor, and stories invisible within this memory leaves cultural heritage incomplete.
From the historic Red Fort in New Delhi, we conveyed the following message to the world:
“Without making women’s historical roles, their place in oral culture, and their demand for justice visible, one cannot speak of cultural heritage or of a claim to civilization.”
We will continue to make our voices heard on international platforms for an oral cultural heritage in which women are not only those who are narrated, but also the narrators themselves; not merely symbols, but active subjects.
