KADEM organized the 2nd Women and Democracy Meeting to commemorate March 8, Women’s Day.
Women and Democracy Association (KADEM) held the 2nd “Women and Democracy Meeting” on March 5, 2017 in presence of Turkish Republic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The meeting organized in cooperation with Turkish Republic Family and Social Policies Ministry and İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality hosted more than 8.000 women.
The 1st Women and Democracy Meeting was held on March 8, 2014 and more than 100 NGOs had firmly underlined the fact that the women are inseparable parts of the democracy along with the motto “If There are Women, There is Democracy”. At the 2nd Women and Democracy Meeting that took place at Abdi İpekçi Sports Hall on March 5, 2017, nearly 200 NGOs located in various cities of Turkey and 15.000 women came together with the motto “Yes! If There are Women, There is Democracy”.
TRT İstanbul Radio Choir Artists sang “Women Folk Songs from Women Artists” first at the program. Following the concert, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan came to the hall and delivered cloves to women at the hall. The program continued with the speeches of Gülhan Bağrıyanık, President of Batman Entrepreneur Women Association and Zekiye Çomaklı, President of Erzurum Entrepreneur Women Association.
KADEM President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sare Aydın Yılmaz expressed in her speech that a democracy struggle that women do not support and claim is doomed to fail. Aydın said:
“We all know that a democracy struggle that women do not support and claim is doomed to fail. Politics in which women do not have representation and mode of rule in which women do not involve shall be a deficiency of our society aiming the development and prosperity.
We, women, who rule our minds and souls based on justice and equity consider this nation as sharing stakeholders and respect the rights of each other without marginalizing others and without distinction to what we think, wear, eat or drink.“
Following Dr. Kadir Topbaş’s, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, welcoming speech, Dr. Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, Minister of Family and Social Policies held the floor and expressed that economy, ruling or anything that adds meaning to life shall be insufficient without presence of women.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held the floor finally and delivered his thanks to KADEM on organizing this meeting.
“YES! “If There are Women, There is Democracy”. I would like to say that I find this motto of the meeeting quite meaningful and just.”
The meeting that emphasized the brave, combatant and triumphant sides of women who have owned their society, values, nation and democracy in all stages from Independence War to July 15 ended following the delivery of gifts to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
