We Are Here, We Are Strong, We Are Free 

By Olatilewa Adeyemi 

The echoes of the march against gender based violence at Near East University continue to resonate across campus -mainly because the event was organized in the lead up to 25^th November, the International Day For the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Every year, this date stands as a reminder of the pressing need to combat gender based violence and for many NEU students, the march became personal and their way of participating in a global movement demanding safety, justice, and equality.

Although the march has ended, its impact has not faded. Conversations sparked during the event are now continuing in classrooms, dorms, and online spaces, where young people are openly discussing issues that once remained hidden. With Professor Ayça Atay at the forefront, the march drew a diverse and unexpectedly large crowd, which further reveals how deeply the issue resonates with students.

The march kicked off at the Faculty of Communications, where students gathered from all faculties with placards reading “Don’t Stay Silent, Resist!” and “Women, Life, Freedom”.

 As the crowd began to move, chants echoed through the air, adding intensity to the moment. During the march, flowers were handed out to participants -an intentional gesture, the blooms represented the women whose lives had been cut short by violence, and the delicacy of each flower depicts the fragility of every life lost. At the same time, the flowers also mean peace and solidarity, a reminder that the movement is about hope, not despair.

“Not only am I on the school paper, but I’m also a woman,” said Sara, a Journalism student also covering the march. “I think it’s wonderful that we are finally advocating for such a cause, because violence happens not just here but all over the world. Being from Kenya, there’s a lot of femicide.”

The march progressed from the Communication Faculty towards the NEU Hospital. Along the way, chants such as “my body, my choice” rippled through the air, other students joined spontaneously, ululating and swelling the crowd.