In the “Yitik Cennet Kadınlık” (Lost Paradise: Womanhood) programme, organised by the Department of Nursing of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU) and aiming to contribute to public health through women’s body awareness and the concepts of spirit, mind and body, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist Op. Dr. Ayşe Duman shared her experiences and knowledge with students using the art of storytelling.
The programme, held at the HKU Congress and Culture Centre and moderated by Prof. Dr. Ayla Yava, Head of the Department of Nursing at the HKU Faculty of Health Sciences, was attended by HKU Vice-Rectors Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Lütfi Yola, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Kezban Bayramlar, Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Şener Büyüköztürk, Secretary General Ümit Şahnaoğlu, academics and students.
In her opening speech, Prof. Dr. Ayla Yava said: “As women, we will set out on a meaningful journey in which we will discover our own inner worlds and in which men will also accompany a woman’s journey. I thank Op. Dr. Ayşe Duman and her team for taking us on a journey through time to understand ourselves.”
Obstetrics and Gynaecology Specialist Op. Dr. Ayşe Duman, who combines the storytelling art of Yitik Cennet Kadınlık with scientific data, social analyses and the guidance of the biological rhythm to tell women’s bodily journey through metaphors, said: “As the poet said, women will save the world, you beautiful women, but first we need to save ourselves from ourselves. We need to return to the wisdom of the body. Being a woman is a source of joy at every stage of life. It should not be forgotten that men’s well-being depends on women’s well-being. Women’s knowledge and wisdom will also have a positive effect on men. Women command an experience process from beginning to end, from birth to death, from journey to arrival. Everything a woman needs throughout this process is within her. Because in a woman’s nature there are four paths of wisdom that guide the journey of life. In the cyclical rhythm of woman, integrated with the four phases of the moon and the four seasons, these paths of wisdom guide her and whisper the steps she will take. The dance of body, spirit and science completes women’s existence as strong individuals.”
Op. Dr. Ayşe Duman, the author of the book “Discovering Womanhood in the Integrity of Spirit, Body and Mind” and the recipient of many awards both in Turkey and abroad for developing the “Vertical Birthing Chair” project, conveyed important information to the participants about women’s body, spirit and mental health.
At the end of the programme, HKU Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Kezban Bayramlar and Head of the Department of Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Ayla Yava presented a gift to Op. Dr. Ayşe Duman.
