It is easy to remember women with flowers one day. What is difficult is to establish an order that can prevent those flowers from going to cemeteries. March 8 is not just a day of celebration, but a day of conscience when society must face itself.
When March 8th arrives, the same scene happens every year.
Flowers are prepared.
Messages are written.
Social media pages are filled with the phrases “our women are very precious”.
But one cannot help but ask the question:
Are we really remembering women, or are we consoling our conscience?
Because real life is much heavier than these fancy phrases.
In this country, women do not only carry the burden of life; they often carry the entire responsibility of life on their shoulders. Labor at home, struggle at work, invisible sacrifice in society...
But the same society can ignore that labor for most of the year.
Then, when the calendars show March 8, the issue is tried to be glossed over with a bunch of flowers and a few well-intentioned words.
But it is not a question of remembering one day.
The issue is to truly protect a woman's right to life.
Turkey has experienced painful events in recent years that are etched in all our memories.
The brutal murder of Özgecan Aslan,
The burning to death of Pınar Gültekin,
Emine Bulut's death in front of her daughter
These names are not just titles of tragic events.
These names remind us of this:
The women's issue is not a matter of one day, it is a matter of conscience for a country.
Societies that remember women on one day are actually societies that magnify their problems every day.
Therefore, the question that needs to be asked is this:
Why are women still not safe?
And more importantly...
What are we really doing to change this?
Because what needs to be done to protect women is actually very clear.
First of all, violence against women requires an absolute and uncompromising legal will. Unless the perception of impunity is eradicated, no social message will be truly resonant.
Secondly, women's economic independence must be strengthened. It is often not possible for a woman without economic independence to break out of the cycle of violence.
Thirdly, the social mentality must change. No law alone will be sufficient without changing the mentality that relegates women to the second plan.
Because it is not just about security; it is about value.
The way a society treats its women is the way it treats itself.
A society that cannot protect women is not strong.
A society that devalues women is not healthy.
That is why March 8 is not just a day of celebration.
March 8 is a day of conscience when society must ask itself the following question:
Can we really put women at the center of life?
Or do we only remember them for one day and ignore them for the other 364 days?
It is easy to give flowers to women one day.
The real issue is to establish a system that can prevent those flowers from going to cemeteries.
Today is not just about celebrating;
is to remember our responsibility to build a country where women can live without fear.
On that day, March 8 will truly be a day to celebrate.