The Workshop “A Woman, A Story” Was Held in Novi Pazar with the Support of TİKA

In Serbia, a workshop titled “A Woman, A Story” was held in Novi Pazar in the region of Sandžak, which is heavily populated by Bosniaks, with the support of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA).

The workshop held in cooperation with the ZOR Association in Skopje and the Hatidza Women's Association in Novi Pazar was attended by Başar Başol, the Republic of Turkey’s Consul-General to Novi Pazar; Jasmina Curić, President of the Bosniak National Council; Çağla Gültekin Tosbat, TİKA’s Belgrade Program Coordinator; Nejra Mujović Zupljanin, Coordinator of Novi Pazar Turkish Cultural Center; Suada Nasufović, President of the Hatidza Women's Association in Novi Pazar; Hacer V. Sulooca, Founding President of the Skopje ZOR Association; and guests from Sandžak, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Western Thrace.

The life and success stories of 16 successful women including educators, politicians, journalists, radio programmers, doctors, athletes, artists, academics, authors, and entrepreneurs from the Balkan regions such as Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Western Thrace were told in order to stress the undeniable place of women in society and introduce the leading actors behind each success story.

In his opening remarks, Başar Başol, the Republic of Turkey’s Consul-General to Novi Pazar, reminded that granting the rights to vote and to stand for election to women was one of the priorities and first activities of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. He added that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attaches great importance to strengthening the place of women in society.

Jasmina Curić, President of the Bosniak National Council, gave information about the Bosniak National Council and the place of women in society in Sandžak, and said, “Bosniak women and the women of Sandžak are the pillars of society in Sandžak and have shouldered the burden of many national and cultural developments throughout history. The number of female deputies in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, female speakers of City Councils, business women, and female professors is increasing every year.” She stressed that this workshop was especially important in this sense.

In her address to the participants, Çağla Gültekin Tosbat, TİKA’s Belgrade Coordinator, said, “We are gathered here today to listen to the life stories of women who do not only have successful careers, but also made great contributions to the society in which they live. I hope that the life stories of these women, who achieved success not only in their careers but also in their personal lives, will inspire our young people, and that the experiences and wisdom of these determined, resilient, and hardworking women will guide you. I would like to express my gratitude to those who contributed to the workshop, especially the presidents of the associations of ZOR and Hatidza.”

Expressing her gratitude to TİKA officials for their support, Suada Nasufović, President of the Hatidza Women's Association in Novi Pazar, said, “It is of great importance to recognize and strengthen of the role and status of women in all segments of society.”

Hacer V. Sulooca, Founding President of the Skopje ZOR Association, explained the purpose of the project as follows: “Based on the training programs and meetings conducted for women in the past, we aimed to bring the life stories of women in the Balkans to light, to raise awareness, to tell the life stories of these women, to bring together women from different countries in this context, and to build bridges between countries and women.” She thanked those who supported the implementation of the program, and said, “We would like to express our gratitude to Suada Nasufović, President of the Hatidza Women's Association in Novi Pazar, the partner and host of this program; to TİKA, which enable women to receive training, develop themselves, and start their own businesses in every country with the projects they implement for women and provided material and moral support for this meeting; to President Serkan Kayalar; to Vice President Dr. Mahmut Çevik; to Yasemin Biçer, Head of the Balkans and Eastern Europe Department; and to Çağla Gültekin Tosbat, Coordinator of the Serbia Program Coordination Office.”

The workshop included the presentation of the life stories of Emine Ademi, Aysel Bahri, Sıdıka Aga, and Filiz Nezir Emin from North Macedonia; Müveddet Bako, Fidan Brina Jılta, and Sevim Baki Berveniku from Kosovo; Sevtap Hint, Vildan Serdar, and Pervin Hayrullah from Western Thrace; Vasfija Gusinac, Mevljuda Melajac, Nabila Jusufspahic, Suada Hodzic, Dr. Hanadi Hajdinovic, and Amela Terzić from Sandžak. The life stories of these women will be recorded for future generations and immortalized in a book, which will be published in Turkish and Bosnian.