“She is talking to people, identifying the needs and problems of the neighborhood and conveying these to local authorities to have a solution. But what she realizes is that asking for accountability to local authorities is key to see what happens once they convey their needs to the authorities:
“No one will give me an account of what they have done if I don’t ask for it. But the problem is that people who asks for accountability are seen as outsider in the community who is problematic and quarrelsome. We need to change this.”
Canan and her friends were organized in a neighborhood center in Konak district of İzmir. They first came together to identify the primary needs and issues of their neighborhood. The most important one was the lack of social venues where women can safely and securely enjoy leisure time.
The parks were scrap and full of young people who use drugs. The neighborhood was very unsafe, especially for women to go out at night, even during the day time.
Canan and her friends, which were called leader women, worked together with the mukhtar and created a nice park. They ensured that it encouraged women to go out their homes and to participate within the public realm.. The park was named after Leader Women and it was called ‘Leader Women’s Park’.”
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