Tekrar merhaba everyone!

We took a bit of an extended summer/autumn/winter holiday, but we're back now with what we'll call 'season 2' of the podcast.

And we're coming back in time for International Women's Day, which is on March 8th. This will be my fourth year spending this day in Istanbul, and during that time I've seen everything from huge raucous rallies filling the city's central Istiklal Street, to women being pepper sprayed and batoned by police.

That range mirrors daily life here -- where there are moments of resistance, solidarity and joy but also bigotry, injustice and brutality. All of the episodes this month will be dedicated to different aspects of women's experiences in this country, from our history and faith, to our struggles and successes.

And our very first guest to kick it off is Ebrar who is a volunteer at Mor Çatı, or 'Purple Roof,' one of the main organizations combating violence against women and gender inequality in Turkey. 

You can learn more about their work and donate here: https://en.morcati.org.tr/

We'll be posting more information about Mor Çatı and other groups fighting for gender equality in Turkey on social media, so give us a follow there if you haven't already @TheTurkishBreakfastClub.

Happy International Women's Day -- and hope to see you marching on March 8th.