Jean Lambert, London’s Green Party MEP, will be joining prominent politicians and experts on the conflict in Turkey, this weekend, to discuss how to involve women in resolution and reconstruction. The seminar on the role of Kurdish women will take place on Saturday 24 May 2008, 1.30-5pm in the Garden Court Chambers, 57-60 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2.
Academics and NGO specialists will be participating in the debate, as well as Leyla Zana, a leading Kurdish politician and former political prisoner who is making her first visit to London since her release. She has received the European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the Rafto Prize and the Bruno Kreisky Award for her struggle for peace.
Kurdish women and girls have suffered for decades from human rights abuses, perpetrated both by the state and other offenders. Illiteracy, unemployment, bitterness and hopelessness have caused a huge increase in domestic violence. Many girls are victims of early and forced marriages as well as depression and suicide, ‘honour killings’ and forced prostitution.
Jean Lambert MEP, who has been involved with Kurdish rights groups for many years, said:
"Women are too often the forgotten victims of conflict and are rarely heard in any peace process. At the international and European level we need to listen to Kurdish women to improve human rights in Turkey and to bring an end to the current military conflict and the incursions into Northern Iraq.
"Many Kurdish women have been systematically targeted by the security services and subjected to harassment, beatings, detention and even torture. But there is a growing movement of women among the Kurds who are standing up for their rights and we should work with them to improve both their daily lives and the political situation."
For information about the meeting contact Estella at estella24@tiscali.co.uk or call 020 7586 5892.
The meeting is supported by the Bar Human Rights Committee, the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Sebahat Tuncel MP, Democratic Society Party (DTP) in Turkey, Kurdish Women’s Project, Peace in Kurdistan Campaign, Roj Women’s Group, Kurdish Federation UK and the Organisation for Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI).