"THERE WILL BE MORE PEACE IN THE WORLD WHEN WOMEN HAVE MORE SAY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES" says Nur Mardin during an interview in my new film, Women Who Dare, which explores Turkey and the co-existence of Eastern/Islamic traditions and Western culture through the lives of its women.

I was in Turkey this summer shooting this intimate, feature-length documentary about the compelling lives of three women in Istanbul, Belkis Balpinar (63), Nur Mardin(53) and Banu Hantal (28), who juggle Eastern and Western cultures, daily, in their own unique way.  The adventures of Belkis and Nur took us all around Turkey and gave us a chance to explore the different cultures and traditions within Turkey.  Currently we are in the midst of editing the project and so far working on this film has already taught me the important link between women's rights and democracy, which has been overlooked in the Middle East.

Belkis, Nur and Banu represent the educated and liberated women of Turkey and they contradict the familiar stereotypes of "Muslim women".  Courageous, sharp-witted, and often provocative, they are not afraid to weigh in with opinions on religion, politics, men, gender roles and the Western attitude toward the East. All three of them have created their own identities by defying the rules of their society, continually pushing the envelope to live authentic lives in a culture where many women are still weighed down by the demands of tradition. Women Who Dare explores the lives of each woman in depth and also introduces a variety of other women from a large spectrum of the Turkish society. Belkis is a world-renowned tapestry artist and an expert on Kilims (traditional Turkish tapestries).  Nur received her MBA from University of Illinois and now works as a feminist activist, and Banu is studying for her Master's degree in Psychology. Through Belkis, we learn about the importance of self-expression.  She belongs to the generation of Turkish women who did not have any personal autonomy over their choices. Yet she mustered the courage to pursue her dream of becoming an artist.  Belkis still chooses to express herself not only through her art, but also through her courage in speaking against Islamic fundamentalism.  Through Nur we see the importance of social awareness, activism and empowerment.  Nur has made a choice to get involved and to contribute to her society by helping other women who are less privileged than she.  Through Banu, we see the emergence of individuality and spiritual transformation.  Banu is a thoroughly modern woman who is a reflection of the progressive future of Turkish society. Through these individual stories, we will watch the transformation of a society from traditional Islamic patriarchy to a more democratic one.  

After the foundation of the Republic in 1923, Turkish women were given equal rights.  Therefore they are far ahead of their sisters in the Middle East, but they still grapple with problems.  Many poor and uneducated women in the rural areas are simply not aware of their rights granted to them by the Turkish constitution.  Thanks to the hard work of the civil rights and feminist activists we have interviewed, the Turkish Civil Code has been revised in 2004 and many of the old articles, that limited women's rights, were abolished. Despite the remnants of the patriarchal system, Turkish women are involved in every arena of the public life.  There are equal number of female doctors, lawyers, professors and bankers contributing to the transformation of Turkish society into a progressive and modern state as was envisioned by the founder of the republic, Ataturk.

However, there is also a surge in Islamic conservatism, partially encouraged by the current government, which is religiously conservative, and by the political shifts in the neighboring countries such as Iraq and Iran.  As recently as last year, the government wanted to criminalize adultery in order to appease their more fundamentalist constituency.  The people of Turkey were quick to react to such a dangerous and anti-democratic claim and soon after the strong public opposition; the government had to shelve the notion.  As we were filming, Women Who Dare, we were surprised to observe many young, educated and urban women covered in tight Islamic headscarves.  The notion of the "headscarf" comes from an article in the Koran that states that Muslim women should be modest.  The concept of "modesty" remains a topic of discussion and interpretation.  At the most expensive shops in the best districts of Istanbul, we saw exquisitely made up young women covering their hair with their multi-colored, designer turbans and wearing tight, revealing long tunics with high heels.  Chanel and Burberry scarves seemed to be the most popular choice of the wealthy conservatives.  Even though the ones we interviewed assured us that it was their own religious decision to dress in such a fashion, however, after some probing, different stories began to emerge.

Women are free to dress in any way they see fit in a democratic country like Turkey.  Currently, it is against the law to work, study or teach in government run establishments with a headscarf.  Every man and woman we interviewed supported the religious rights of the women who choose to cover themselves up.  However, once again everyone agreed that the major concern and challenge in a country like Turkey is to identify the young women who are forced, coerced or threatened to wear the headscarf.  Furthermore, it was encouraging to realize that the majority of the women we met, were against using religion as a way of imposing righteousness on society.

The Crew of the "Women who Dare", during
shooting.

Turkey is a relatively young democracy where the women play an ever-increasing role in its future.  Fundamentalism is a real threat to Turkey and to the other countries in Europe and the Middle East.  In Turkey, women have already become the protectors of democracy against any kind of oppressive ideology. We were delighted to encounter many courageous women from the cities and the villages who tirelessly strived to better themselves and to realize their full potentials as human beings.  Our aim has been to capture the spirit of the courageous women we met during the filming of Women Who Dare, and we hope to share their stories with the rest of the world.

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