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| Melihe Ezizpur |
Melihe Ezizpur, a poet and author from Iranian Azerbaijan, asserts that female poets and writers whose works are published in Turkish are on the same level as their male counterparts in this field. In an interview with Voice of America, the poet from Tabriz evaluated the creative contributions of women active in literature in South Azerbaijan.
“The fact that women are less active in political or social spheres does not mean they are less hardworking. This stems from the specific social characteristics of our society. In the national movement as well, women may appear to stand slightly behind men, but this is not due to passivity. Coming from traditional families and living in a closed society, women might seem to lag behind,” she explains.
Ezizpur adds, “Especially during Khatami's presidency, as society slightly opened up and literary associations increased, women began to emerge in the field of literature.”
She names well-known female poets and writers such as Hamide Reiszadeh (Sahar), Nigar Khiavi, Roghayeh Kabiri, Ipek, Susan Navade Rezi, Parisa Eslamvand, Roghayeh Safari, and Solmaz Mohammadrezayi, stating that she considers women working in literature in South Azerbaijan to be on the same level as men.
“In South Azerbaijan, I see female poets and writers as equal to men. In terms of quantity, they are not lagging. In terms of quality, we see very diverse and distinct works. When we examine the works of female writers, especially young ones, we notice their efforts toward modernity, breaking away from classical forms. Some of our female writers also write about feminism. However, I also observe some stagnation in certain works. I believe there is potential for further progress, especially among women.”
Melihe Ezizpur highlights the visible feminine essence and sensitivity in women’s creative works.
“Just as men write and create, so do women. I don’t see much difference, but sometimes, when we delve into the themes or the depth of the writing, we notice a distinction. That is, the feminine essence and sensitivity can be seen in those works,” says the Tabriz poet.
Melihe Ezizpur is the author of Turkish poetry collections published in Tabriz and Baku, such as Rain, Iron Love, White Night, The Moon Adorned with 14 Pens, The Whisper of Water, and Gift Me a Street.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Məlihə Əzizpur: Güney Azərbaycanda türkcə yazan qadınlar kişilərlə eyni səviyyədədirlər