Women are the epitome of love and compassion and honor us with their presence in every aspect of our lives. They give us strength with their support as mothers, wives, daughters, sisters and friends. Women are the cornerstone of society and families, and have always been a source of sacrifice, strength, solidarity and love.

Women working in various institutions have proven that they aren't less than men in any field. This has also been the case in Türkiye, which has recently witnessed the worst disaster in its history. The earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6 made 85 million hearts beat together. When the whole world united to help quake victims in this hour of need, women across the country have been mobilizing to help in the earthquake zone since Day 1. Sometimes with the compassion of a mother and sometimes with the companionship of a sister, they have helped survivors remember that they are not alone.

Perihan Kaya, a technician and construction equipment operator in the 6th Regional Directorate of State Hydraulic Works, said that she has been working in Hatay since the first hours of the earthquake and remained there voluntarily. With tears in her eyes, she explained, "Some of the saddest moments were when I was assisting in the debris removal works, and I found children's toys under the rubble."

Kaya also shared her feelings on International Women's Day: "Mothers and children should not cry anymore. I hope such a thing will never happen again. We will all heal our wounds together. As our ministry and institution, we are at the disposal of our nation with one heart. We will continue to work until the region is put back together again."

March 8 is marked as International Women's Day, which started in 1977 at the United Nations General Assembly to support women's rights and world peace. In Türkiye, the first meeting on this issue was held in Ankara in 1921 under the leadership of republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in the first 10 years following the establishment of the republic. However, the U.N. celebrated its first Women's Day in 1975, and since then, March 8 has been marked to celebrate women worldwide by deciding a theme every year. This year's theme is "Embrace Equity."

"Women need to be protected from being the target of violence, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation, which is one of our state's primary duties. Therefore, we call on our state to fulfill the duties it has undertaken. In addition, all the states should have 'zero tolerance' of violence against women," said Adem Aktürk, president of the Erzincan Bar Association, on March 8, International Women's Day.

Referring to one of Atatürk's speeches, Aktürk said: "We do not believe that women should have to ask for rights that are already theirs to claim. No one should support a situation in which women must demand rights. In the War of Independence, our women stood shoulder to shoulder with men to protect and feed the rest of the country. They have the right to have a say in every subject and matter of the country."

March 8 is celebrated to address the vital problems women face worldwide, yet issues have not been resolved despite the international conventions and policies followed at the national and international levels. Women face violence and discrimination all over the world. Yet, they remain in a secondary position to men in politics, decision-making, the economy, and education and are abused as sexual objects in the media and advertising; they are discriminated against and excluded due to cultural, political, ideological, or religious reasons," Aktürk said.

"Today, one out of every three women in the world is exposed to different forms of violence, and we are shaken by the news of a murder of a woman, harassment and rape almost every day. We demand that necessary action be taken as soon as possible to prevent violence against women and to implement legal steps to prevent the reduction of sentences in femicides," he emphasized.

"A society with educated, self-confident, self-reliant women will always be strong. We must not forget that we can only create a strong Türkiye with strong women. In this context, in recent years, our state has been working hard to ensure the participation of women in political, social, cultural and economic fields. Violence against women is a betrayal of humanity and cannot be justified on any grounds. We will not remain silent against violence. The courage is from you; the support is from us. We sincerely congratulate March 8 International Women's Day and offer our respect," Aktürk maintained.