Women's Day

In high antiquity we see that woman was worshipped as a goddess because she gave birth to children, just as the earth gives what you sow. Thus she symbolized fertility. That is why we find many small statues of women with large breasts, large legs and their genitals exaggerated. And this also lets us understand that woman was equal to man in the eras we call 'matriarchal'. When man began to feel himself stronger than woman, humanity became 'patriarchal', until the 20th century, when woman came back to demand her equality.

In 1910 Clara Zetkin, née Clara Josephine Eissner, at the 'International Conference of Socialist Women' held in Copenhagen, Denmark, asked to establish 8 March — the day on which many women died in the fire at the textile factory in 1857 — as 'WORLD WOMEN'S DAY'. Her request was accepted unanimously. This day became official in the Soviet Union from 1921 to 1965. Finally, in 1977 the 'UNITED NATIONS' made this day official as 'INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY', inviting all member countries to celebrate it in favour of 'WOMEN'S RIGHTS'. In 61 countries of the world this day is a holiday on which no one works. Turkey is not among these countries.

In Anatolia, which is today's Turkey, since prehistory we have many of these small statues of entirely naked women, with large breasts and legs, giving birth or nursing children. Statues considered goddesses and called 'Mother Goddess' were found in various regions of the country. These statues symbolized fertility. All this we say on the basis of theories, because we have nothing written about this era. The first written texts about women in Anatolia come with those whom the Hebrews called Hittim and we call Hittites. Both in the carvings on rock and in the clay tablets we see that the king and the queen are always seated side by side, that is, the queen is always beside the king. There are tablets that write about queens who governed. The best known is Queen Puduhepa, wife of Hattusili III, the king who signed the treaty of Kadesh, considered the first peace treaty in world history.

Among the roles of women among the Hittites, the most important was to be a doctor. She had the duty of healing the sick. Another important role was to lead the religious ceremonies with dances and songs. They knew how to play musical instruments very like the bağlama, the tef (tambourine), the kaşık (castanets) and the zurna (clarinet) of today. Of course we have no idea of the music of that era. But the family system was patriarchal, and only the father's will was valid. Marriage among the Hittites closely resembles today's: before marrying they had to give their word, be engaged for a certain time, and marry after the bridegroom gave a large sum to the bride's father and brought the bride's trousseau to his house. The levirate system also existed among the Hittites. Quarrels between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law were very frequent, and this entered the laws. But the mother-in-law was always the one in command.

In Egypt, from certain documents we understand that woman was equal to man before the law. She could be the owner of her own business, she could divorce, or decide to be a doctor. So she did not depend on her father, her husband or her brother, as was the tradition in other countries. Marriage was made neither in an administrative nor in a religious form. Only the decision of a man and a woman was enough to form a marriage. They made a contract of the goods they brought. She could keep her own name and not take her husband's. To be married it was enough to say to each other: 'I have made you my wife', 'You have made me your wife'. In ancient Greece a girl had to marry at 15. Only the father decided on the marriage. Women had no rights either in politics or in social life. All their lives they had to depend on the father, the husband, the brother or their sons. A widow without sons had to depend on the nearest man of the family. They were the mistresses of the house: giving orders to the slave women and servants, they had to spin the wool, prepare and sew the cloth for clothing, look after the household economy and care for the sick servants.

In the Roman Empire woman had the same fate as the Greek woman. One difference was that the Greek woman could not go out of her house without a servant, nor go to the theatre or a sporting game; but the Roman woman had the right to go out alone into public life. In certain parts of the world the same restrictions exist even today. After thousands of years of evolution almost nothing has changed under the sun. Of course we must not be pessimists and fail to see how many laws have changed in favour of women and families. Women have won their financial autonomy. On the other hand, even in advanced countries, for various reasons there are men who act in a very archaic manner. Blessed be God, with the patience and sense of women and the maternal instinct, she adapts to every kind of important change. Balance in every important moment brings peace and serenity, love and affection to all women and men, with mutual understanding. May men and women, inshallah, always be in harmony. Know that women, with great struggles, obtained this sacred day that reminds man of 'THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN'.