A world in which women are rendered invisible in public life is in fact an incomplete world.
The meaning of December 5th starts right here. This date is not just a celebration, but the milestone of a centuries-long quest for rights.
At a time when women were systematically marginalized in all areas from education to politics, from working life to the right to have a say over their own bodies, a silent anger was building up all over the world. At the end of the 19th century, when the spark started by the weaving workers in New York demanding “equal pay and decent work” was joined by the rising feminist wave in Europe, there was no turning back.
This movement engraved the following sentence on the stage of history;
“Rights are not given, they are taken.”
In Turkey, this struggle took on a completely different meaning. Because the founding of the Republic initiated one of the most radical social transformations that changed the fate of women.
December 5, 1934 was not only the day when Turkish women won the right to vote and be elected, but also the day when the voice of half of the society was heard in the state system for the first time.
At that time, when many developed countries of the world still did not recognize this right, Turkey opened a new door with great courage.
But one thing must not be forgotten:
When rights are won they are written in history, but when they are not protected they are quietly taken away.
Today, if women are still the target of violence, inequality, economic injustice and barriers to political representation, this history reminds us of a duty, not a boast.
Because December 5th is not just the anniversary of a right won in the past.
It is the mirror of a country where women are still forced to struggle for equality, for security, for justice.
And when I look in this mirror today, I see this:
When a woman's voice is silenced, the country is silenced.
When a woman's will is strengthened, society rises up.
That is why December 5th is not a day to celebrate, but a call to be reminded of its meaning again and again.
Equality is not just a demand; it is an obligation that determines the future of society.
This future will be built with the presence and voice of women.