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Elbis Gesaratsyan

Elbis Gesaratsyan

First female Armenian journalist and editor of the first Armenian Newspaper for Women "Guitar"
"Our opinions must blossom."

Date of Birth: 1830

Place of Birth: Ortaköy, Istanbul

Date of Death: 1911

Place of Death: Cairo

Burial Site: No information available

Topics

Gallery

Elbis Gesaratsyan Elbis Gesaratsyan

Field of Activity

Press

Elbis Gesaratsyan published "Guitar", the first magazine for women in the Armenian language. In "Guitar" Elbis wrote articles with pseudonum "Yelbis Garabedyan" about the role of women in the community and about the education of women. The four articles of Gesaratsyans in the first issue of "Guitar" entitelt " The Spirit of Patriotism", "To Young Girls", "Service to Community" and "Using Rights is not insolent ".

Due to material problems" Guitar" magazine could only be published for only 7 issues.

Female Policy of Elbis Gesaratsyan

In her book titled "Namagani ar İntertsaser Hayuhis" (Letters to Armenian Woman Fond of Education) Elbis Gesaratsyan wrote on such female issues as woman and education, and sexual discrimination.

"You may have often experienced women who more thoughtful, more foresighted and more hard-working then their husbands; but they knowingly and blindly succumb to men who do not know the right way to do something; because the woman should be a bird without a tongue and the man, even if he is a crow, he must sing and rule with pride. Yes, my sister, these are my thoughts. Our opinions should blossom. Capable persons should take this as a duty, should activate the sluggish brains in lawful ways, should be awake in holding on to her the freedoms and should be eager to educate ourselves and encourage other woman to educate themselves. We should create reading rooms and societies and possess such knowledge addressing hearts and brains so that we take steps on the way of development and be counted as human beings."
ELBIS GESARATSYAN
Elbis Gesaratsyan, Namagani ar Intertsaser Hayuhis (Letters to Armenian Woman Fond of Education), Istanbul, 1879.
Her Works
  • Magazine Gitar, Istanbul, 1862 – 1863, 7 issue
  • Namagani ar Intertsaser Hayuhis (Letters to Armenian Woman Fond of Education), İstanbul (No date available).

Awards

(No information available)

Memberships

(No information available)

Education

(No information available)

Contributions to Society

Elbis Gesaratsyan, donated her income from the sale of her book Namagani ar Intertsaser Hayuhis (Letters to Armenian Women fond of Education) to Azkanıver Hayuhyats Ingerutyun ( Society of Nationalistic Armenian Women).

Family and Friends

(No information available)

Commemorative Projects

(No information available)

Further Reading

  • Serpil Çakır, Osmanlı Kadın Hareketi, İstanbul, 2011.
  • Lerna Ekmekçioğlu; Melissa Bilal, Bir Adalet Feryadı – Osmanlı'dan Türkiye'ye Beş Ermeni Feminist Yazar 1862-1933, Aras Yayınevi, İstanbul, 2006, ss. 22-34.
  • Melissa Bilal, Lerna Ekmekçioğlu, Belinda Mumcu, "Feminizm: Bir Adalet Feryadı" Hayganuş Mark'ın (1885-1966) Hayatı, Düşünceleri ve Etkinlikleri Üzerine Bir Çalışma", October 2000 hyetert.com.

Sources

Quoted Sources:
  • See the "Further Reading" section
Source of Visual Images
  • Aras Publishing, Istanbul
  •  

Acknowledgments

The Istanbul Women's Museum is grateful to Aras Publishing, Istanbul for the visual images in the Elbis Gesaratyan introductory page.

Translation into English: Çetin Alanya, Istanbul, Turkey
Editing: David Heath, Nuremberg, Germany

©2012 Meral Akkent
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