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| Simin Sabri |
Simin Sabri states that in 2013, there was a rise in both the quality and quantity of initiatives led by Southern Azerbaijani women activists. In an interview with Voice of America, a psychiatrist and national-cultural activist assessed the participation of South Azerbaijani women in the fields of women's rights, human rights, and national movements over the past year.
The activist, who lives in Norway, pointed out several achievements of women activists in 2013, including breaking certain taboos related to women's issues, bringing feminist discussions to the forefront, and the spread of Turkish-language writings on feminism and women's rights.
According to her, in the past, discussions and writings on women's issues were often met with sarcastic and offensive comments from some male activists, but today, these views have decreased.
"In the past, many issues related to women's rights could not be discussed; some topics were considered taboo... however, over time, many taboos have been broken, and there is now more interest in discussing women's issues."
In her view, the activism of South Azerbaijani women has not only had an impact on the political and social atmosphere in the South but has also influenced Persian circles.
The cultural activist also touched upon existing issues and criticized the continued use of gender-related issues in political group conflicts and confrontations.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Simin Səbri: 2013-cü ildə güneyli qadınların fəallığı artıb