Award emphasizes women rights issue

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

Vuslat Doğan Sabancı (R) poses with the winner of the Duygu Asena Novel Award Pelin Özer. DHA Photo

The 3rd “Duygu Asena Women Still Have No Name” novel award, which is named after a novel by late writer Duygu Asena, “Women Have No Name,” was presented on April 25 at a ceremony held at Istanbul’s Hilton Hotel. The jury selected Pelin Özer’s “17 Haziran” (June 17) as this year’s winner.

Hürriyet Executive Board Chair Vuslat Doğan Sabancı, who chaired the selection board, said at the ceremony that she had bought Asena’s book aged 16 and read it in one night.

“After many years, I found myself struggling for women’s rights. And a few years ago, I was searching for breaking points in Turkey. I saw that Asena and her book was one of the most important breaking points of women’s rights struggle in Turkey. She actually mirrored Turkish society. I don‘t agree with the idea that ‘women still have no name.’ Becasue women have a name from now on. There are hundreds of, thousands of Duygu Asenas. They are rising, questioning and trying to make change. We have come a long way since then. But in another way, it is true that women still have no name, because there are still millions of women who are victims of violence, or whose right to education is violated. Therefore we still have a long way to go,” Sabancı said.

Hürriyet Publishing Adviser Doğan Hızlan said that all efforts made for the cause of women were very important. “But there are some efforts that only show their results slowly, because bad behavior and traditional moral values slow this struggle. Duygu Asena is a leading name on this issue, she has fought for the freedom of women with her stories and books.”

The jury that selected Özer as this year’s winner comprised of Vuslat Doğan Sabancı, Doğan Hızlan, Filiz Aygündüz, Elçin Yahşi, Buket Aşçı, Turhan Günay, İhsan Yılmaz, Cem Erciyes and Sibel Oral.