14th of February. A day which has much more importance this year than being a cheesy, consumerist 'love' day. Today, women all around the world "stroked, rose and danced" protesting violence against women. Today, women took action. Today, things changed.
I was part of 'One Billion Rising' in Istanbul, Haydarpasa Train Station. Over 700 women of all ages were there, dancing, singing, clapping for their own kind who are not treated as well as they may be. Maybe none of the women there was subject to domestic violence or harassment, but being there, being part of an international movement, being one of the thousand people there and showing the senseless, abusing, vulgar men the "power of women" (I know it's cheesy) is enough.
The only creatures on earth who knowingly harm their own kind, not for survival, not out of necessity, but because they just want to, and actually enjoy it, are humans, who are supposed to be the most intelligent of all.
Who gives those men the right to harm their wives? Who gives those men the right to rape young women and destroy their lives and get away with it? Above all, who gives them permission to interfere with our lives, or even touch us?
It's our ignorance and lack of action and protests which drives them on and makes what they do seem OK.
But today, that changed. Even if that guy saw our protest in the news and regarded it as an 'invention of the metropolitan city', he now knows that he and what he does is not welcome. He knows that we are not silent anymore. He knows that we are ready to 'break the chains'.
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