Dilek Demir (53), who has been the muhtar of the Muradiye neighborhood in the Bağlar district of Diyarbakır for 3 terms and was forcibly married at the age of 13 after being taken out of school, has divorced after 16 years of marriage. After becoming a muhtar, Demir completed middle school and high school externally. After starting her duties as a muhtar, her first action was to hang a wish-complaint box on the wall of the muhtarlık.
With the complaint letters received in the box she hung for those who were forced into marriage at a young age or had other issues but were hesitant to speak up, Demir saved 41 girls from early marriage by 2021. By collaborating with relevant institutions, she prevented these marriages and ensured that the children returned to school.
Demir, who is now referred to as "Muhtar Ana" in the neighborhood, had her life and the box she used to save girls documented after 8 months of work in 2022. The documentary was shown at nearly 20 festivals in many countries and reached the finals in the "short documentary" category at the 30th International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival.
This year, Demir, who took the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS), became a university student by being placed in the Local Governments Department of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Vocational School.
Expressing her feelings, Demir said, "I am 53 years old. I was married as a child bride at 13. I was taken out of school. They took off my apron and dressed me in a wedding dress. They gave me to a man and took me from my school without any questions. The love for education remained inside me. Years passed. Years later, I participated in the elections and became a muhtar. I had a wish-complaint box made for the girls who could not read and were forced into marriage at the muhtarlık's door, complaints came, and I prevented their marriages. They returned to their schools. Now they have all graduated. Their ages have grown now. Those who got married got married, and those who became professionals did so because of our wish-complaint box. After that, the complaints stopped. For about 4-5 years, there have been 2 reports. A total of 41 reports of marriage and 82 reports came, and we helped them, we ran for them. Now they have all studied and become professionals," she said.
"THAT GIRL IS NOW A UNIVERSITY STUDENT" Continuing her words, Demir stated, "Our struggles were seen by the public, the citizens, and the people. They learned that girls are my red line, and they have put an end to it. It may be possible in a village, but the city center no longer sees the need for such things. Children should be educated. This is the result of our struggles. Now they are educating their children, and I can no longer see such things around us or in Diyarbakır. Reports are no longer coming. Even if they do, they come face to face. They come to the muhtarlık. They can sit in front of me and tell me. The love for education remained locked inside me. After I became a muhtar, I also completed middle school through open education. I finished high school, and now I have learned that I have been accepted into university. I got into the Local Governments Department of Çanakkale University. This is a great success for me, and it cannot be described in any sentence. I am completely filled with emotion right now. My dreams have come true. That girl is now a university student," she expressed.
"I WILL GRADUATE AND THROW MY CAP" Demir, who stated that she has educated all her children at university, said, "They are all professionals now. We help and support them with great longing and love for education. Our children should not be married off, nor deprived of their schools. I have also decided to become a university student, and I will study at my university, graduate, and throw my cap. Being a muhtar means local governance. I intentionally chose the Local Governments Department. There is both years of experience in this field, and I can use this field in the future. That is why I chose local governance. I urge all parents to support their children. They should support their schools. They should educate their children. While they are in school, they should not interfere with their children in any way. No marriages, no this, no that. They should be by their children's side with all their strength. We are also by the side of all children. Read, read, read..." she said.