A Pressing Issue: Violence against Women

Assoc. Prof. Ayşe  Devrim Başterzi from the Turkish Psychiatric Association called on relevant state departments, all universities and educational institutions, the media and non-governmental organizations to work out an action plan for the prevention of violence against women. She urges for a fast realization of all necessary steps and a quick implementation of the measures.

Başterzi made an announcement on behalf of the Association's Central Steering Board. She underlined that all sorts of work for the prevention of women murders was based on volunteers.

Eight women killed in the past ten days

She drew attention to the fact that eight women were killed throughout the past ten days. Başterzi criticized that applications like electronic handcuffs and legal regulations which provide security for women were being appreciated but remained insufficient.

Findings and Demands

* Monthly and annual data related to violence against women and woman murders should be published. The data must be evaluated and preventive work should be rendered more effective by defining risk groups and social factors that incite violence.

* Most of the murderers of women are family members. The mental attitude must be examined that legitimizes violence against women under certain economic, social, cultural and political conditions that lead to domestic violence.

Spiral of economic and physical violence

*Economic and physical violence are mutually dependent. Women should be educated in order to be able to stop these two aspects of violence. Encouraging political interventions that increase the number of women effectively participating in work life should be scaled up.

* Social gender discrimination should be eliminated. Training programs should be launched in order to eliminate social gender discrimination on all levels. The media has to raise awareness on this issue. Appropriate training programs that are sensitive to social gender and the problems of women should be supported from primary school onwards.

* Struggle and interventions are required against incitement to violence against women, to gender discrimination and all sorts of violence as shown in the media and television series. Campaigns against violence against women should be launched like the widespread anti-smoking campaigns. Showing violence as an ordinary human condition must be avoided.

* Extrajudicial executions as "honour killings" must not be accepted. A mitigation of punishment on the grounds of "unjust provocation" as applied in trials on woman murders must be lifted immediately.

Lack of Women Ministry

* The woman's problem is not a family issue. Many countries in this world have a Women Ministry. Replacing the Ministry of Women Affairs in Turkey by the Ministry of Family Affairs and Social Policies is a sad development. This approach ignores the fact that a woman is an independent adult and defines women a being secondary.

* The number of women shelters is still absolutely insufficient. The opening of new women shelters as assured by local administrations and international agreements has to be pushed through quickly and effectively. "Women friendly cities" should be supported and implemented. (BA/VS)