March 8 is the struggle day for women to unite and raise their voices

Asst. Prof. Dr. Mihrican Aylanç, President of the Center for Women and Gender Studies (UKAMER) at Cyprus International University (CIU) made a statement within the scope of March 8, International Women’s Day, "March 8 is a day of struggle, where workers and working women stand against exploitation, oppression, discrimination and raise their voices for equality and freedom."

One of every three women in the world is exposed to violence at some point in their life today. “One out of every five women is subjected to sexual harassment. Even though 66% of the works are carried out by women, women cannot benefit from the same rights and cannot be represented equally in decision-making mechanisms. All of these are some of the negative effects of the discrimination against women in society,” said Aylanç.

It is imperative to bring practices that strengthen the understanding of equality with the active participation of all segments of the society to ensure the unrest caused by violations of human rights and unequal practices, and it is important to create fundamental awareness-raising processes in all platforms, especially within the family, and to establish a sense of gender equality.

The energy rising against the destruction of violence and wars in the world creates the necessity to make women more effective in the life of society expressed Aylanç and added, “to provide a developed social order and its basis as sustainable social and economic development and to secure and create a safe society, we have to increase the participation of women in all areas, and strengthen their positions in the family, in business and social life.”

Asst. Prof. Dr. Aylanç also stated that, as UKAMER, they will seek solutions with various scientific, cultural services and practices that spread to all areas of life to omit all kinds of discrimination against women, prevent violence and realize women's rights.