“I suppose I was fitting pretty well into the pattern of a fairly conventional, quiet, young society matron,” were the words Eleanor Roosevelt wrote later in her autobiography. Shouldn’t women have integrity, graciousness and sincerity?
At the young age of 14, Eleanor wrote, “...no matter how plain a woman may be if truth and loyalty are stamped upon her face all will be attracted to her....”
Eleanor wanted to make a difference. She understood social conditions and was not afraid to express her opinions candidly in a daily syndicated newspaper column titled “My Day.”
Britain recently announced that women who worked the land during World War II can apply for a badge commemorating their efforts. These women had an important role during World War II in making sure Britain had sufficient food and timber.
Many women wanted to do “their bit” during a national crisis or world war. They ended up doing things they thought they could never do. Just one of the many women is Rosalind Elder, who served in the Women’s Timber Corps and Land Army for little more than pocket money. She was 16 years old and only five feet, four inches tall. A few thousand women served their nation by hauling and cross-cutting trees that in turn provided timber for everything from telegraph poles to road blocks to the crosses which were destined to adorn soldiers’ graves. Rosalind says in a BBC interview, “We were as much a part of winning that war as every other service.”
If you are familiar with Turkish history, you know that women played an instrumental part in the early republic. In the early 1900s Turkey was ahead of Europe on some social issues. Sunday’s Zaman arts and culture writer, Marion James, in her book review on “Turkish Women: A Phenomenal Metamorphosis” by Dr. Cebesoy Sarıalp, explains that at the end of the Ottoman era women were defined as daughters, mothers and wives. Their outstanding contribution to the national cause both in the War of Independence and the early republican era -- made possible by the attitudes of the gazi and first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk -- meant that they took their place at the heart of the new nation and were granted many rights and opportunities (often before their sisters in Europe).
When I read Sarıalp’s book, I learned that a lot of Turkish women have had prominent positions and made an impact on the nation.
If someone were to ask you, could you name a famous Turkish woman?
How about Zübeyde Hanım, Atatürk’s mother, or Latife or Fikriye, the women in his life.
Let’s think of a few more women who have made a difference in Turkey:
Sabiha Gökçen, Turkey’s first female aviator and the world’s first fighter pilot, who now has an airport in İstanbul named after her;
Halide Edip, a famous military figure from the War of Independence;
Güler Sabancı and Piraye Antika, contemporary businesswomen;
Hülya Avşar and Sezen Aksu, from the world of show business;
Tansu Çiller, the first female prime minister;
Merve Kavakçı and Hayrünnisa Gül, figures in the headscarf controversy.
We all know that there are certain points around İstanbul where protests are often held. One of these places is Kadıköy on the Asian side. Women were active for peace and freedom. At a meeting held in Kadıköy on May 22, 1919, protesting the foreign occupation, Münevver Saime Hanım was arrested by the occupying forces for a rousing speech she made and such meetings were banned after that date.
Role models like the ones mentioned above knew what it meant to stand up for what one believes and wants -- peace and freedom. They ranged from those with low level or no education to sophisticated city girls, willing to work hard and even get blisters, cuts and other wounds because of their dangerous jobs.
It was all about winning the war so they could bring their children up in peace and freedom.
“I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
