Makbule has been the headman of Diyarbakır’s Selahattin Eyyübi Mahallesi district (she lives in the center of Diyarbakır, Diyarbakır is a province in Turkey) since 1998 covering three successive terms for a total of 15 years. She is Diyarbakır’s only female headman. Makbule Fidan, born 1959 in Diyarbakır, is the mother of seven children. She lost her husband when she was only 40 years old. Fidan, who states that she was confronted with problems due to prejudices against women while she was running for the headman’s office, says she was elected as headman in the light of her determination. However, people keep asking Makbule, “if she is the headman of the women or the men.”