Feminist Series — Seeing differently
I am Deniz and I live in Turkey. I have recently completed a Bachelor of Political Science and International Relations with a focus on development and diplomacy. I am now working as a Partnerships and Communications Associateat Includovate, after several months of an amazing internship. I want to be a specialist in this field. This role is important because Includovate helps vulnerable groups and society by working towards a more just world.
I’m an individual with unlimited motivation who wants to be part of a positive change in society. I believe in the power of diversity and personal best. It is important to have an independent nature but also to be able to work in a team, cooperatively — just like wolves. Wolves can’t be captured because of their collaborative nature, and they have amazing organisation skills.
At university, I was studying “Contemporary Studies in War and Peace” and we did a field visit to the Committee for Missing Persons in Cyrpus with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP). It was led by two women; one Greek and one Turkish Cypriot. It was a hard task and in a very collaborative way they were extremely successful. This motivated my future direction and increased my respect for women, especially those who bravely and successfully break traditional role models.
Then I undertook an elective course on Gender and Politics and amazingly discovered different approaches and different perspectives on women. During these lectures, I was mostly inspired by Crenshaw’s “Intersectional Feminist Approach”. I believe poet Mitsuye Yamada perfectly reflects my views when she states; “As a child of immigrant parents, as a woman of colour in a white society and as a woman in a patriarchal society, what is personal to me is political.” Education can open eyes to better ways to live in society.
During my life’s journey, I’ve met many people and I know that all people are equal, but not all people have equality. Some are more especially privileged. To eliminate this, I believe that everyone, including and especially myself, should examine the social, personal and political space with a view to advance human rights and ensure equality of opportunity for all, especially women, the marginalised and people with disabilities. Working in Partnerships and Communications at Includovate allows me to see different approaches, different organisations and different circumstances, so I believe that my work at Includovate is strengthening my aim to end inequality and develop a more peaceful world.
About the Author
Deniz Tanrıseven has obtained his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Middle East Technical University. During his studies, he mostly focused on gender, development and diplomacy fields. He also undertook administrative roles when he was a student. Soon after his graduation, he develops himself in project cycle management and project development. He later did an internship with Includovate that he recognised that his passions and values of Includovate are perfectly matching and developed his skills Partnerships, Communications and also learned development of project proposals process. Currently, he works as a Partnerships, Communications and Business Development Associate. His career objective is to improve gender equality and to contribute in sustainable and inclusive development. He is currently seeking a masters degree in Social Policy from Middle East Technical University. He can speak Turkish, English, and a basic level of Spanish.
Includovate is a feminist research incubator that “walks the talk”. Includovate is an Australian social enterprise consisting of a consulting firm and research incubator that designs solutions for gender equality and social inclusion. Its mission is to incubate transformative and inclusive solutions for measuring, studying, and changing discriminatory norms that lead to poverty, inequality, and injustice. To know more about us at Includovate, follow our social media: @includovate, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram.
