The International Office of Eastern Mediterranean University organized women’s day event in celebration of International Women’s Day. The event held yesterday, the 8th of March, 2016 at the Rauf Raif Denkas Culture and Congress Center.
The International Women’s Day is a global day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. In its early years, the day was marked to honor women’s right movement specifically women’s suffrage and gender equality. In recent times, the international women’s day is marked to reflect on progress made to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination.
Professors and students were the attendees of the international women’s day event held at Eastern Mediterranean University yesterday. Cemre Muhendisoglu, the Promotional Officer for International Office, led the participants of the event in a moment of silence to honor and remember late significant women figures like Marie Curie, Mother Theresa, Eleanor Roosevelt and others of blessed memory.
In a speech given by Prof. Dr. Isik Gurslmsek, she asserts that events like this will help to encourage women at Eastern Mediterranean University to make a positive change in the world. She stated that, English program of women and gender studies at Eastern Mediterranean University will be ultimately important to continue the struggle and that there is a probability that the program will be floated next year to join the already established Turkish program. She went further to state that the fight against sexual harassment in Eastern Mediterranean University is ongoing and there is zero tolerance to sexual abuse.
Asst. Prof. Umut Bozkurt shed light on the challenges of being a female academician. She posits that male professors are regarded as brilliant and intelligent, while female professors are regarded as bossy, mean and annoying. “Female academics are cited less than males and lack of citation disempowers women in academics” she said.
The program ended with a support speech from the Cameroonian Students Society, encouraging women to achieve as much as they want because all humans are born equal.
By Halima Abdulwahab and Jemimah Atii
