Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, March 8, 2014
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| Suheyla Azizi |
In an interview with Voice of America on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Suheyla Azizi described feminist thought as a necessity for social justice. The Azerbaijani women’s rights activist assessed the participation of Southern Azerbaijani women in modern popular movements and the current national movement, emphasizing the need for an independent women's movement to emerge as part of these ongoing efforts.
“Azerbaijani women have always been present in the struggle. They actively participated in the Constitutional Revolution and in the resistance during the National Government period of 1945-46. Women are also active in today’s national movement. We have seen their strong participation in events such as the Babak Castle gatherings, the protests to save Lake Urmia, and the mass demonstrations against the 2006 caricature that insulted Turks,” Azizi said, praising the involvement of Southern Azerbaijani women in historical popular movements.
She also noted that, to date, an independent women’s movement advocating for women's rights has not emerged in Southern Azerbaijan.
On March 8, in honor of International Women’s Day, Southern Azerbaijani women’s rights activists are organizing an event titled "If Women Smile" in Eskişehir, Turkey. Suheyla Azizi is scheduled to speak at the gathering on why feminism is necessary.
Azizi described recent conferences and other women-centered activities organized by Southern Azerbaijani women in Europe and Turkey as both a continuation of their historical activism and the potential foundation for an independent feminist movement.
The activist, who currently resides in Sweden, sees feminism as an integral part of the concept of social justice. “It is not too early to talk about feminism. Feminism is not an ideology or movement against men, nor does it promote hatred toward men. It is about equality between women and men and ensuring equal rights,” she stated.
Suheyla Azizi stressed that feminist thought is a fight against social injustice. “If we believe in social justice, we cannot ignore the injustices and discrimination imposed on women,” she added.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Süheyla Əzizi: Feminizm sosial ədaləti təmin etmək üçün gərəklidir