Medine Mamedoğlu

 

ŞIRNAK - Zilan Tokay, who runs a toy store in Silopi, called on women to create their employment area with their own strength.

 

The women, who have retaken their rights seized by male-dominant mindset, are increasingly involved in working life, which is one of the areas where they are most excluded.The women, whose labor is invisible both at home and work, have created their employment area with their own strength. Zilan Tokay, who opened a toy store in the Silopi district of Şırnak province called on all Kurdish women to stand on their own feet. Husband of Zilan, mother of two, has been held in prison for 10 years. Shouldering all responsibility alone, Zilan said, “I tried to what I could do. I wanted to give message and power to all women whose husbands are in prison. I opened this toy store two years ago.”

 

‘We must create alternatives’

 

Emphasizing that all women in Kurdistan have carried out their struggle for life, Zilan underlined that the alternatives must be created against the attempts trying imprison women in houses especially in the last process. Pointing ou that the women stand on their own feet without support of anybody, Zilan continued to talk as follows; “I thought a lot about opening this place. Now I am doing two jobs to live on. This idea came to me while I was asking myself, ‘What should I do to stand on my feet?’ I started to prepare everything to open this toy store after making my decision.”

 

‘First trust yourselves’

 

Stating that the working women have more trust, Zilan called on women as follows; “First trust yourselves. Each woman can start a business and work. Trust is very important for this. We can do everything if we want.”