International Women's Day celebrations begin in Northern Cyprus: Program

A series of events dedicated to International Women's Day, March 8, will kick off today in Northern Cyprus. Political parties, municipalities, unions, and associations are organizing exhibitions, panel discussions, seminars, and concerts.

For instance, the women's organization of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) will hold a series of events under the slogan "Freedom in Our Will."

As part of the program, which will run until March 16 and will address various issues related to women's rights, there will be markets, conferences, environmental activities, and panel discussions.

The festive events started today at 10:00 with a visit to the bazaar and market in Famagusta, organized by the local branch of the CTP Women's Organization.

This will be followed by a conference titled "Populism, Economy, and Women," to be held at MAGEM. Panelists will discuss topics such as "women's politics of populism, neoliberalism, and women's poverty."

Additionally, two separate marches will be organized in Nicosia and Famagusta to mark International Women's Day on March 8.

The Nicosia march will start at Kumyal Park at 17:00 and end at Kugulu Park.

The Famagusta march, organized jointly with women's organizations in Famagusta, will start at EMU Circle at 15:30 and end at MAGEM-Sakarya.

The celebratory program will continue on Saturday, March 9, with a traditional market for working women in Kyrenia. The event, under the slogan "Our Loom is Labor, What We Weave is the Future!" will take place at Sevim Ebeoglu Park from 10:00 to 18:00.

On Monday, March 11, the CTP Women's Organization of the İskele district will organize an event titled "What We Filtered from the Frame: Women's Experience" at the Osman Aga Cultural Center.

The festive program will conclude on Saturday, March 16, with a tree planting event called "Greening of Hope" at a nursery created in memory of women who lost their lives due to violence, jointly organized by the CTP Women's Organizations of Nicosia and Kyrenia.

Additionally, tonight, at the Gonyeli Municipality conference hall, the Gender Equality Committee of the People's Party (HP-TCEK) will hold discussions on the topic "Does Violence Exist?" on the occasion of International Women's Day.

Party events will continue on March 8 with visits to party district branches to retirement homes in their respective areas.

Moreover, Emete Imge (Vice President of the Universal Patient Rights Association), Feyka Deniz Pasha (Assistant to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees), Fezal Nizam (Co-founder and Academic of Grön Vegan), Pynar Tash (Human Rights Defender), Reshat Shaban (Activist and Academic of the Queer Cyprus Association), and Zeliha Uluboy (Expert Psychologist and Psychotherapist) will participate in a discussion on the topic "Does Violence Exist?" The discussion will analyze topics such as gender-based violence, violence against animals, refugees, and the environment, as well as violence in healthcare.

On International Women's Day, March 8, under the guidance of the Social Services Department of the Kyrenia Municipality, a masterclass and discussion will be organized.

An event called "Meeting of Women Artists" will take place at the Kyrenia Municipality Center for Social Life: it will start at 09:00 with the installation of workshops and will last until 18:00.

On the occasion of March 8, International Women's Day, women's union offices affiliated with the World Federation of Trade Unions will visit female workers at some hospitals on both sides of the island.

It is worth noting that on March 9, there will be a "Concert in Honor of International Women's Day," prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Environment, the State Opera and Ballet Coordination Center (KKTCDOB), and the trio "Myrrha."

Also on Saturday, March 9, the premiere of the new play "Merry Wives of Shakespeare" by the Baraka theater collective will take place at the Arabahmet Cultural Center.