The Izmir Star, awarded by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality for good practice examples on gender equality, found its owners. Speaking at the night where gender equality projects were awarded for the first time by a local government, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer“As the spirit of the Izmir Star increases, the Istanbul Convention will shine again,” he said.
Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyerİzmir Star Award Ceremony was held with great enthusiasm on March 8, International Women's Day, in line with the “women-friendly city” vision of Turkey. The awards given to examples of good practices regarding gender equality within the scope of combating all kinds of violence and discrimination against women by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality found their owners with a ceremony at the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center.
“Violence against women is political”
Speaking at the ceremony where projects on gender equality were awarded for the first time by a local government, the President Tunç Soyer“There is no inequality in nature. Equality is like water, like food, like breathing… It is a right to life. The right to equality belongs to everyone. Women are also born equal. Unfortunately, many cannot live equally. Because these rights are usurped. In order to increase her own power, she is usurped by men who see all means as permissible, including violence. Therefore, women's demand for equality is legitimate. It is universal and common. As a mayor, it is my primary duty to tremble on women's demand for equality. That's the main reason why we're meeting here tonight. To fight together for gender equality by saying stop to male violence. To end all forms of violence against women. The Izmir Star awards are given in line with the decision taken by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Council to promote gender equality. This award suits İzmir, which is essentially the word of woman, its spirit, and it finds its first owners this evening. İzmir Star is a product of our gratitude to everyone who works for gender equality. I would like to make this clear once again. Violence against women is political, political. Turkey's exit from the Istanbul Convention is the clearest proof of this. But you will see… As the spirit of the İzmir Star increases, the Istanbul Convention will shine again.”
"No looting it!"
Emphasizing the importance of the Istanbul Convention, Soyer said, “We will be a part of it again. We will not only be a part of it, but we will become one of the best implementing countries in the world. We will never allow room for frustration and pessimism. For this, we have to put the full name of violence against women without wasting time. We should say everywhere that the horror experienced is actually male violence, and we should not allow the oppressor to hide among the oppressed. If you ask those who have no problem other than their own seat… Women will bend their knees and sit at home, while men will command the world with instructions. No looting! We will never allow this. We came into this world together, we walk together. So we will be equal in decision making mechanisms. Right now. Without making any excuses. Without waiting. If women could be equal, this war that is shaking the world today would not exist. "There is no place for war in a world that is viewed through the eyes of mothers and women," he said.
“At the end of the 3rd year, 50 percent of the managerial table of the Metropolitan Municipality is women”
President Sofar is also "Anyone who has to live in a society deprived of the thoughts of women is half. That people's things are half. Their goals are half. Their dreams are half. Their feelings are half. The conscience is half. Their questions are half. Their answers are also half. The future of everyone in such a society is half. I don't want to leave a half a future to anyone. We will continue to work with a half an İzmir, not to work for an equal Izmir. Therefore, I will continue to work with the women of this city. Make sure the 3rd of the year is 50 percent of the executive table of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality today. I tend to respect in front of women's labor. March 8 International Women's Day, get the aim of our equality. All the person, institutions and organizations that are worthy of the Izmir Star award are a heartfelt congratulation, and I used to greet all of you with the most heartfelt love and regards. "
Awards in 6 categories found their owners
46 projects competed for the Izmir Star awards, which was held for the first time this year. At the Izmir Stars Award Ceremony, awards were given to their owners in 6 categories. MV Holding (Intervention/Invervention Exhibition Language Trash Project), NGOs, Professional Chambers, Izmir Journalists Association (Nar Power Union Project) in the category of Voluntary Organizations, Rize Fındıklı Municipality (Meci Emek Evi Project), International Municipalities in the category of Legal Entities. In the category of Nicosia Turkish Municipality (Side-by-Side Against Violence Project), Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, which carries out activities with the understanding of "Strong Women, Strong Societies" in the category of Metropolitan Municipalities, and Bahçeşehir College Philosophy Teacher Dr. Yeliz Öztürk Leader was deemed worthy of the award.
“We wanted a heart-warming project”
Dilek Gappi, President of the Izmir Journalists Association, who received an award in the Voluntary Organizations category, said, “The world changes when a woman takes a woman's arm. The war is raging next to us. On the men's chessboard, women and children suffer the most. We wanted a project that touches the heart, not the nail. Violent individuals are not alone. We are receiving this award on behalf of all the souls we lost in longing for a country where the just are strong, not the strong are right.
“You shed light from Izmir”
Rize Fındıklı Mayor Ercüment Çervatoğlu, who was awarded in the District Municipalities category, said, “My existence here is thanks to women. Woman is life and freedom. Where there is a woman, there is life. As soon as we took office, we established women's assemblies, people's assemblies. We have cooperatives. We established People's Grocery, inspired by İzmir. You shine the light," he said.
"We couldn't save women from violence, but we will"
Yılmaz Büyükerşen, Mayor of Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, who won an award in the category of Metropolitan Municipalities, said, “Both our country and the world are experiencing difficult times. Again, in the Russia-Ukraine war, the majority of those who died are women, mothers and women who want to kidnap their children in their arms and save them. In fact, there is nothing as absurd as the distinction between men and women. Half of an apple is women and half is men. It's that simple. "No matter what we do, we haven't been able to save them from violence until now, but we will."
President Soyer and his wife Neptün Soyer presented the Presidential Special Award
Mehmet Harmancı, the President of Nicosia Turkish Municipality, who was deemed worthy of an award in the International Municipalities category, also addressed the crowd in the hall via video. On behalf of the Nicosia Turkish Municipality, the award was received by TRNC İzmir Consulate General Vice-Consul Almıla Tunç. Bahçeşehir College Philosophy Teacher, who won the President's Special Award. Due to Yeliz Öztürk Lider's discomfort, the principal of the school Aylin Gil and students Selin Arıcı, Zeynep Ünalır, Nazlı Öztürk, Duru Naz Macartay and Ece Sandıkçı President Tunç Soyer and his wife Neptune Soyer.
The night ended with a concert.
After the award ceremony, Zeynep Türkeş, Ahmet Selçuk İlkan, Bora Gencer, Fatih Erkoç, Gökhan Güney, İlham Gencer, Keremcem, Tayfun, Yeşim Salkım, Yonca Evcimik and Zeynep Dizdar met with the people of İzmir with the concert of Songs Without Farewell, hosted by Çiğdem Tunç and Salih Güney.
Who participated?
Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality to the glorious night Tunç Soyer's mother Güneş Soyer, his wife İzmir Village Coop Union President Neptün Soyer, Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Yılmaz Büyükerşen, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mustafa Özuslu, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Second Deputy Mayor Suat Çağlayan, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Ertuğrul Tugay, İzmir Bar Association President Özkan Yücel, Head of Gender Equality Commission of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Lawyer Nilay Kökkılınç, Former Deputy Chairman of CHP and İzmir Former Deputy Zeynep Altıok Akatlı, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality bureaucrats, heads of departments, İzmir Journalists Association President Dilek Gappi, Mayor of Rize Fındıklı Ercüment Ş. Çervatoğlu, Gaziemir Mayor Halil Arda, Menderes Mayor Mustafa Kayalar and his wife Aslı Kayalar, Karaburun Mayor İlkay Girgin Erdoğan and his wife Teoman Erdoğan, Seferihisar Deputy Mayors Yelda Celiloğlu, Nuriye Hepterlikçi, CHP Seferihisar District President Senem Solak, Seferihisar Mayor İsmail Adult's wife Fatma Adult, Yaşar University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cemali Dinçer, İzmir City Council Women's Assembly President Canan Aydemir Özkara, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality National Holidays Celebration Committee Chairman Ulvi Puğ, representatives of political parties, non-governmental organizations, chambers, cooperatives presidents and representatives, academics, representatives of the private sector.
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