WOMEN'S SHELTER PROGRAM

The government launches a project to provide shelter to women who were exposed to violence. Filiz Karakuş from the Socialist Feminist Collective appreciated the effort but pointed out that continuity has to be ensured and that politics should constitute an integrative approach to prevent violence against women instead of establishing programs.

The project for 'Enhancing the Capacity for Women's Services' is run by the Social Services and Child Protection Institution (SHÇEK), the Turkey Business Institution (İŞ KUR) and the Public Housing Administration (TOKİ). State Minister Selma Aliye Kavaf, responsible for Women and Families, announced that the project is supported by the European Union with € 12 million (approx. TL 18 million).

The program supports women who have been exposed to violence and their children to lead an independent life. It aims at providing psychological and social rehabilitation to women who got pregnant at young age or girls who became subject to sexual exploitation. This way, women who were exposed to male violence at home are not forced to return to the same place.

Social politics

Karakuş stressed that this kind of project should not be restrained to the scope of the EU, though she voiced doubts about the government's imposing necessary programs. Karakuş illustrated her concerns with the example of  Purple Roof ('Mor Çatı'), a feminist women's shelter, who had to terminate their shelter project run by the Beyoğlu (Istanbul) District Governorship due to "lack of funds".

"First of all, serious preventions of legitimizing violence are not in question. Family and general moral rules are still applied in the framework of male-dominated violence.  These rules are supported by the government itself by propagating to have three children and that the women's place is at home. Social politics and legal amendments have to be enhanced to strengthen the position of the affected women and to guarantee their lives. The budget has to be allocated according to the women's needs. Municipality funds have to be allocated to the ones who are forced to seek shelter".

TOKİ provides studio apartments

These are the contents of the 'Enhancing the Capacity of Women's Services' project:

• Women exposed to male violence seeking shelter in women's accommodation will be settled together with their children in studio apartments by the state. The apartments will be provided by TOKİ.
• The duration of stay lasts for one year and can be extended to up to two years according to the needs.
• In order to avoid harassment by the family, the women's addresses will be kept confidential.
• While staying in the shelter, vocational training will be provided by İŞ KUR. The women will be placed in jobs according to their skills subsequently.
• A pilot project will be launched in Ankara, İzmir, Bursa, Diyarbakır and Antalya. Couples applying for marriage will have to undergo premarital education.

There are a total of 54 women shelters in Turkey, 29 of them are run by SHÇEK, 19 by municipalities, 3 by governorships and 3 are maintained by corporations. Their total capacity amounts to 1354 people. (İP/VK)