Armenian Heritage and Memory Beyond the Borders Armenian Heritage and Memory Beyond the Borders | Page 10

accepted the invitation. In her autobiography, Mark stated that many
Turkish newspapers did not mention Ann Stis’s invitation to Mark
but reported the news as if Mark herself enrolled. Utterly disappointed
once again, she immediately withdrew her membership, stating “this
incident had dishonored not only herself but all Armenian women.”
Although Hay Gin advocated the liberation of Armenianness, it
had to adopt Pro-Turkish after the republic established because of
the oppression and dominance of the government. And the Turkish
government ordered Hay Gin closed in early 1933.
Arshaguhi Teotig (1875 İstanbul- 1922
Leysin) was educator, journalist and
editor. Her activism led her to Cilicia for
the massacre in 1909. Concluding from
her experiences, observations and her
activism, she documented about the
survivor orphanages and children and
her visit to Armenian political prisoners by
providing very prolific and sophisticated
discussion about Armenian’s right to self-
defense with the testimonies about the
resistances. She was vice president of
Tibrotsaser Hayuhyats İngerutyun (Union
of Friends for Education of Armenian
Women) and opened the orphanages in Cilicia. Arshaguhi Teotig also
wrote middle school textbooks on modern ethics and home economics
as well as contributing to different Armenian periodicals.
Zaruhi Kalemkarian (1874 İstanbul- 1971 New York) was poet,
essayist, social activist and community member. She was the first
person who initiated a women’s section in one of the mainstream
newspaper which was daily published in İstanbul in the early 1890s.
But afterwards, she moved to New York and continued her political
engagement in the Armenian community there. As for 1926, she
became the first woman board member of Armenian General
Benelovent Union. She gave many speeches on Armenian history,
Armenian women, especially Armenian women writers of İstanbul and
their roles in the society.