Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Kırklareli MP candidate, Diren Cevahir Şen, said that the HDP is a women's party.

Feminist Lawyer Diren Cevahir Şen has seen in her work how women in Turkey have suffered from a huge slaughter and now is a HDP candidate in Kırklareli for the 24 June elections.

Şen, who has been providing legal aid for years against violence, massacres and attacks against women, accepted to be a candidate to defend the rights of women in Parliament this time.

“I am a part of the feminist movement, I am a feminist activist” she said, adding that feminism influences all women.

Speaking to ANF, Şen pointed out that HDP is a women's party and continued: “This is undoubtedly a result of the struggle of the women. I mean, if it were up to men, even if they wanted to accept or achieve such a situation because their areas of sovereignty are narrowing. They are starting to get equal treatment with women. The fact that women are politicized, that there are more women in the political arena, means that the question of male sovereignty begins to shake”.

HDP: Change with women

Şen pointed out that the HDP is in fact an example to other political parties and that women are doing better politics than men.

“We know that at least three women are killed every day”, she said and added that women played a more equal, egalitarian and inclusive role in the struggle for nature and animals, labor struggle, peace activism and basic human demands.

“War and government policies are affecting women most. Both men and government politics are claiming women’s lives. The HDP has published a women's electoral manifesto which clearly spells out the will to fight against male violence. We said, ‘change with women' and promised to implement all the international conventions signed to prevent violence against women and to enforce existing legislation”.

Men owe women

Şen ended her remarks by saying that “the HDP is the only party that takes steps in this direction, demanding equal representation and equal pay for equal work”.

While campaigning on her constituency, Şen has observed the problems women are faced with. “Women want equality and justice. Women want equal job and equal pay. Women want to make decisions. Women want to be in politics and want to prime. We say, ‘Men owe women’. The increase of women in politics will mean a decline in men's violence. Women in politics will make the world better in a faster way”.

People like Presidential Candidate Demirtaş

Şen reminded that this is the third time she presents herself as a candidate for HDP and said the media are publishing lies about the HDP and making the people prejudiced against the party. However, she said, the people are sympathetic to Presidential Candidate Selahattin Demirtaş.

Şen ended her remarks by saying: “I come from a socialist family, I am a socialist. I always had a committed life. I am a daughter of union founding member parents. I grew up with politics in my house. I always wanted to transform and make things nice. I'm a candidate for those who want women to be more active in politics”