IZMIR - While work continues on the “women-friendly cities” and “women's city” projects frequently discussed by local administrations, the village of Jinwar, established for women and children in Rojava, sets an example to the world with its women's liberation and communal structure.
In today's cities, where gender inequality is reproduced day after day, the problems women face are deepening. The patriarchal mind-set, which confines women to boundaries, manifests itself everywhere from construction to urban planning and governance, preventing women from exercising their "right to the city."
Thus, in structures that prioritise male domination, women, children, and the disadvantaged are rendered invisible. With the strengthening of the women’s struggle, one of the topics discussed locally in recent years has been “the right to the city" and "women-friendly cities." The Democratic Local Administration Council of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party began its work towards the goal of cities where women can live freely in all areas and take to the streets without fear at a meeting held in Amed (Diyarbakır) on Saturday, 8 November, under the slogan "Towards women's cities."
The right to the city, in its broadest sense, refers to the equal and effective use of urban space by all individuals and their participation in this space. According to the United Nations (UN), cities that meet criteria such as the presence of women in important decision-making processes at the local level and the establishment of equality units, the creation and reporting of gender equality statistics, gender-sensitive budgeting, maintaining communication with women's civil society organisations, creating equality plans, combating violence against women and ensuring safety, and facilitating access to transportation for women.
FOR 'WOMAN-FRIENDLY CITIES'
The main activities undertaken for “woman-friendly cities” are as follows:
* Efforts are being made to increase the number of women in decision-making bodies,
* Equality units are being established in local administrations,
* Equality plans are being prepared,
* Continuous dialogue is being developed with civil society,
* An information system is being created to ensure gender equality is included in all plans and programmes,
* Gender-sensitive budgeting is being implemented,
* Awareness of gender equality among local administrators is being raised,
* Women's needs are being taken into account when determining urban planning and organisation, urban transport and housing policies,
* Women's access to local services is being facilitated,
* Gender-sensitive training is being provided to local service providers,
* Infrastructure systems such as lighting and emergency helplines are being established to ensure safety and combat violence, specifically to prevent violence against women,
* Young people's awareness of gender equality is being raised,
* Accessible, high-quality and affordable healthcare services are being provided to meet women's specific needs,
* Measures are being taken to ensure women have equal access to sports facilities and opportunities.
‘WOMAN-FRIENDLY’ CITIES IN EUROPE
In many European countries, there are examples of work towards building “women-friendly cities”, such as equality plans, continuous dialogue with civil society, gender-sensitive budgeting, creating gender-based statistics, equality units in local government, and increasing the number of women in decision-making bodies at national and local levels.
Countries such as Belgium, France and Sweden have introduced a 50 per cent quota for elected positions. In the Finnish city of Espoo, women make up 55 per cent of the city council. Similarly, equality centres or units have been established in local governments in many European countries. Local and regional governments in Norway and Finland keep statistics on gender equality. In addition, many local governments have prepared plans in areas such as violence, security, culture and the right to organise while preparing plans for many social services in urban planning.
For example, the “Know what you’re getting into” campaign, carried out in collaboration between the Greater London Authority and the London Police, informed women about unlicensed taxis and ensured that women did not use these vehicles. As a result of the campaign, there was a decrease in the number of rape and harassment cases.
VIENNA THROUGH THE EYES OF WOMEN
Today's cities are built in a way that disregards women's needs or prioritises a masculine mind-set. This situation deprives women of many rights and also creates serious security problems for them. According to research, 45 per cent of women in European Union (EU) member states were subjected to harassment or assault on the street in 2018. Furthermore, women are virtually unrepresented in urban planning. A 2017 study by architecture and design magazine Dezeen revealed that only three of the world's 100 largest architecture firms were run by women, and only two of the 100 companies had a management team that was more than 50 per cent female.
One city where women are highly visible is Vienna, the capital of Austria. From improved transport options to renovated parks and city lighting, women spearheaded these initiatives in Vienna. Furthermore, in contrast to the male names commonly used for streets, squares, and parks in the city, many places were named after women. Support was also sought from women in the city throughout all these initiatives.
CITY MANAGEMENT IN KURDISTAN
In Kurdistan, where gender inequality prevails and which is frequently subject to interventions by the male-dominated state, the will of the people was disregarded and women's gains were targeted with the appointment of trustees to municipalities in 2016 and 2019. During these years, trustees were appointed to 159 municipalities. Ten of the DEM Party municipalities that came to power in the 2024 local elections and rolled up their sleeves to repair the damage caused by the trustees were appointed trustees for the third time.
However, local administrations continue to work within a women's liberationist, democratic and ecological paradigm to ensure women have equal rights to speak and that cooperative production and the local economy are organised in a way that is compatible with women's lives. The municipalities of Amed and Mûş (Muş) were selected for the "Women-Friendly Cities-3" project, carried out with European Union funding and in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Union of Turkish Municipalities (TBB). The municipalities of Adana, Semsûr (Adıyaman), Ankara, Antalya, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bursa, Denizli, Edirne, Erzirom (Erzurum), Eskişehir, Giresun, Istanbul, Izmir, Qers (Kars), Meletî (Malatya), Manisa, Mersin, Muğla, Nevşehir, Niğde, Ordu, Riha (Urfa) and Tekirdağ were also included in the project.
THE EXAMPLE OF JINWAR IN THE WORLD
Meanwhile, in an era of increasing urbanisation, the women's village of Jinwar, established in the Dirbêsiyê countryside of the Cizîr (Jazire) Region in North and East Syria, sheds light on the construction of the "women's city" that DEM Party municipalities have set as their goal. The women who built Jinwar village, where the idea of women's freedom comes to life, are the only example in the world of how communal life can be. Founded on 10 March 2017 and inaugurated on 25 November 2018, based on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's paradigm of "women's freedom, democracy and ecology," the village features features mud-brick houses, a health centre called "şifajin," a shop, a bakery, an academy, a school, and living areas. The village, which bears the signature of women in all aspects, is also notable for its harmony with ecology. Jinwar village, which is the greatest response to patriarchal mentality, is an important example for "women's cities" to be established all over the world in this sense.
TOMORROW: Member of the Rojhilat Young Women's Union: The fundamental achievement is freedom.
MA / Ugurcan Boztas