{"id":14241,"date":"2025-12-04T12:06:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T12:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mesopotamia.coop\/?p=14241"},"modified":"2025-12-04T12:06:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T12:06:20","slug":"women-at-the-heart-of-urban-planning-womens-cities-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mesopotamia.coop\/women-at-the-heart-of-urban-planning-womens-cities-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Women at the heart of urban planning: \u201cWomen\u2019s Cities\u201d project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The co-mayors of Sur in northern Kurdistan emphasized that the \u201cWomen\u2019s Cities\u201d project is a strategic step to rebuild cities considering women\u2019s needs, urging women to unite and actively participate in public spaces.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amed \u2014\u00a0<\/strong>Amid increasing challenges faced by women<\/a> in urban spaces, the \u201cWomen\u2019s Cities\u201d project emerges as a strategic initiative aiming to reshape cities based on women\u2019s needs and strengthen their presence in public life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cTowards Women\u2019s Cities\u201d conference, organized by the Municipality of Amed<\/a> (Diyarbak\u0131r) on Saturday, November 8, addressed ways to transform cities into more inclusive spaces for women by discussing issues of urban governance, economy, public space, and collective memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conference featured prominent figures, including the co-chair of the DBP party, representatives from the Free Women\u2019s Movement, the Mothers of Peace Association, alongside civil society organizations and women from various fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWomen\u2019s memory is a tool for peace, and male-dominated cities do not embrace everyone.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participating women discussed ways to enhance women\u2019s freedom in urban spaces, raising fundamental questions: What does freedom mean for women in the city? What structural obstacles hinder their lives? They also explored spaces that can regain meaning through women\u2019s memory and symbolic steps to achieve peace and societal reform by invoking women\u2019s collective memory<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Co-Chair of Sur Municipality in Amed, Fatma Gulan \u00d6ngel, emphasized that the \u201cWomen\u2019s Cities\u201d project is a priority for their party, based on its political and social vision. She noted that the appointment of trustees over municipalities in 2016, 2019, and 2024 directly targeted women\u2019s gains and the broader social culture. While municipalities had been paralyzed under state trusteeship, with the administration now transferred to the DEM Party, efforts resumed to build cities that consider women\u2019s needs and empower them in public spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She explained that cities built with a male-dominated mindset reflect a vision that marginalizes community specificities and lacks social justice. \u201cSur Municipality continues to monitor how cities accommodate all community groups, especially women, in free and inclusive spaces,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cThese observations laid the foundation for our project, aiming to reshape cities based on women\u2019s memory and needs, freeing them from male dominance in urban planning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fatma Gulan \u00d6ngel highlighted that DEM-affiliated municipalities have intensified their efforts to be a voice for women and address their issues: \u201cThe co-chair system, based on equal representation, has extended its impact across multiple areas, and the \u2018Women\u2019s Cities\u2019 project is one of its most prominent manifestations.\u201d She added that the project aims to strengthen women\u2019s presence as key actors in urban life and establish their role as central to change by building cities that respond to their needs and visibly highlight their presence in public spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stressed the importance of the \u201cPeace and Democratic Society\u201d initiative launched by Abdullah \u00d6calan on February 27, noting, \u201cSuccess in this path requires a foundation of honesty and transparency.\u201d She emphasized the need to remove trustees imposed on municipalities, legally recognize the co-chair system<\/a>, and ensure equal access to resources, noting that a key condition for democratic<\/a> construction is returning elected officials to their positions. She further pointed out that women in decision-making positions face systematic targeting, calling for an end to this practice and to attacks on women\u2019s struggle in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fatma Gulan \u00d6ngel clarified that the co-chair system faces direct attacks from trustees and represents the principle of \u201cgender freedom\u201d, aiming to end all forms of slavery affecting both men and women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She affirmed that violence against women is inseparable from state violence, pointing out that this form of violence permeates all levels of life\u2014from family to neighborhood to personal relationships. She noted that three women in the Sur area were threatened with murder on the evening of November 1 by several individuals who said, \u201cWe don\u2019t want you in this neighborhood.\u201d She added, \u201cAlthough Sur is a historic city that embraced multiple civilizations and identities and was built on coexistence principles, what we witness today is a rise in social polarization and the return of rhetoric rejecting women\u2019s presence in public spaces, whether in politics or on the streets, reflecting a deep societal crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gulan \u00d6ngel concluded by affirming that local municipalities will not allow policies that marginalize women to continue, stressing the importance of direct communication with women and working to empower them. She noted that since 2015, many women were forced into isolation in their homes under a male-dominated mindset that sought to limit their spaces. \u201cThrough the \u2018Women\u2019s Cities\u2019 project, we reaffirm our commitment to building a life in which women are active and essential, and we carry out this struggle for a more just and inclusive urban space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women are not alone, and solidarity is the way<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On her part, the co-chair of R\u00eezan Municipality, Leyla Ayaz, emphasized that the \u201cWomen\u2019s Cities\u201d project holds great potential to bring about radical change in the structure of cities. She noted that the appointment of trustees was merely a step to marginalize women and leave them unprotected, leading to a noticeable increase in violence against them. DEM-affiliated municipalities aim through their programs to preserve women\u2019s memory and history from being forgotten, stressing that addressing gender-based violence is a collective responsibility requiring the combined efforts of the entire community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She highlighted that they will observe the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by intensifying women\u2019s struggle and strengthening solidarity among women: \u201cWe organize regular meetings in neighborhoods, meet with women, and assure them that they are not alone. Women\u2019s centers and anti-violence networks in this city have proven that support is available and that women can face challenges together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added, \u201cAs November 25 approaches, we send a clear message to every woman: \u2018You are not alone.\u2019 It is important to know the available mechanisms and not to ignore when another woman experiences violence. We are responsible for protecting each other and for noticing what is happening around us. I call on all women to be present in public spaces and contribute to raising women\u2019s awareness, because change begins with participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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