The 9th Women's Studies Congress with the theme of "Civil Society and Women", which aims to re-evaluate women's contributions to public life and social development with a focus on civil society structures, was held on November 2, 2023 at Istanbul University Beyazıt Campus. The 9th Women's Studies Congress also aims to reconsider historical processes, social structures and structures, ethical, aesthetic and political values, justice, development and representation with a philosophical perspective on the relationship between civil society and women.
Within the scope of the congress, where Prof. Alev Erkilet and Dr. Nagihan Haliloğlu, our faculty members from the Departments of Comparative Literature and Sociology, took part in the Congress Organizing Committee, Dr. Emine Hoşoğlu Doğan, Head of the Department of Comparative Literature, made a presentation titled "Civil Society Movement Potential and Unique Forms of Ottoman Women's Movements".
In the presentation of the research, which aims to reveal the potential of women's movements in the Ottoman Empire as a civil society movement, as well as to see how they were shaped by the political, social and cultural conditions of the period and their unique forms, it was mentioned that primary sources on Ottoman women's organizations as well as the literature and theories of civil society produced on this subject will be taken as reference. Dr. Doğan concluded her presentation by underlining that it is important to be aware of the past experiences and strategies of women's movements, which are an important component of civil society, in order to understand today's transformations and to predict and plan the future.
