VAN - Women shopkeepers will take to the streets on March 8, International Women’s Day, and they will raise their voice against the attacks on women’s bodies and the economic policies that drives them to close up their shops.

 

As International Women’s Day approaches, we talked to the women shopkeepers, who have economic difficulties in recent years due to the policies of the state of emergency. The women said they would take to the streets against not only ongoing economic situation but also the torture on women’s bodies and all kinds of violence.

 

Yıldız Korkmaz has a shop in Van for years. Stating that they are going to welcome March 8 this year in hard condition and that many women have closed up their shops, Yıldız said, “The constant restriction on our rights due to the state of emergency and war completely affect us. All women have been subjected to labor exploitation. As women, we will stand against the exploitation of women in all fields on March 8.”

 

‘We are on the brink of closing up our shops’

 

Saying that the women asked them to sew their national clothes last year but this year they don’t, Yıldız talked as follows; “The reason for this is both the conditions of the state of emergency and the war. As women shopkeepers, we are struggling too much to be in the economic field. But due to ongoing economic troubles, we are on the brink of closing up our shops.”

 

‘We will raise our voice to have a world without exploitation’

 

Nurcan Babur emphasized that they have had troubles for a year. She said, “As women, we are struggling to show we are in every sphere of life. We get excited while March 8 International Women’s Day is approaching. We fight against exploitation every day in every sphere of life. This year, we will raise our voice in the streets as we did before.”

 

‘Women’s struggle in everywhere empowers us’

 

Vildan Öztürk is another woman shopkeeper. She talked about the international women’s day and she said, “Women’s struggle in everywhere empowers us. As woman trying to stand up in working life, I have great difficulty for two years. We will raise our voice again for our rights.”