To the Press and Public Opinion
A Brief Assessment in International Week of the Elimination of Violence against Women starting from 25 November
Assessments below are collected by KAMER Team who worked in villages and streets of 23 province and its districts of Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia region and those data are related to two regions mentioned above.
About Violence against Women
We have been announcing that all women are exposed to at least one of violence types since 1997, the year KAMER was founded. In other words, all women have been already exposed to violence. However, acceptance about violence took its source from women. Mostly we were blind to violence or perceived it as a natural practice used against women. These determinations lead us to work on to develop women awareness about violence and make an effort to avoid violence.
Two different violence researches conducted between 2008 and 2009 shows us that 90 % of women say “there is no reasonable violence”.
Violence that is apparent today has already been existed. Women started not to hide violence and get support to avoid violence as a result of studies performed, thus secret and hidden violence became apparent. Even though apparent violence fazes all of us, it is actually a positive development. Support rate shall increase as more women climb over the walls of fear and trusted public institutions provide them sufficient protection and we will be able to see the actual aspect of violence.
Besides, additional violence against women who claims their rights seems unfortunately inevitable.
Honor Killing and Femicide
Honor killings are the killings that family members take the decision and decide killing type, place and murderer. In recent years, there have been some cases where instigators are also be punished. We can state that the changes made in Turkish Penal Law about honor killings have disincentive effect.
However we watch the homicide news happened in several regions of Turkey.
We detected 260 women being killed in 2014.
Nearly 20 % of these women were under the restraining order. It is obvious that women under the restraining order are not able to use practices such as identity change/obstruction and they become an open target with the police officer appointed for protection. We witnessed a police officer appointed to protect women being murdered at the entrance of Istanbul Courthouse.
All women that are exposed to violence, took divorce decision, request protection should be seriously protected throughout their life.
About Early and Forced Marriages
Early marriages, which were 52% in 1997, have been consistently decreased and regressed to 33% in 2013. Early marriages are found to be fewer than 30% when marriages in the last 5 years are considered.
Early marriages performed with the parents’ decision are also forced marriages.
It is possible to prevent early and forced marriages expeditiously. Imposing penal sanctions and interoperation of legal and women institutions are required for this.
About Poverty
In the last 3 years, we have conducted 164.206 home visits in the 23 provinces and suburbs that we are organized in. One of the biggest problems we faced was poverty.
When poverty and hunger line determined by Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) in 2013 and average number of persons living in a house is 6 is considered, it is seen that 92% of these families are living at or under poverty line.
Additionally, most of the income they specified are consist of social relieves such as handicapped, elder care, educational assistance.
|
Total |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
||||
Income |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
No Income |
10696 |
6,5 |
3262 |
5,6 |
3515 |
6,69 |
3919 |
7,4 |
100-500 TL |
35789 |
21,8 |
16263 |
27,8 |
10659 |
20,29 |
8867 |
16,7 |
501-1000 TL |
68459 |
41,7 |
24184 |
41,4 |
22546 |
42,91 |
21729 |
40,8 |
1001-2000 TL |
38634 |
23,5 |
11726 |
20,1 |
12915 |
24,58 |
13993 |
26,3 |
2000 TL and above |
10628 |
6,5 |
3018 |
5,2 |
2903 |
5,53 |
4707 |
8,8 |
Number of people answered the question |
164206 |
|
58453 |
|
52538 |
|
53215 |
|
Income inequity has been enhancing interregional inequity day by day.
Women want to work, produce and make contribution to family budget. Employment areas for women should be created and kindergartens where they can leave their children should be opened in order they can work without thinking about their children.
About Education
Girls’ schooling rate has reached 100% for the first time in the history of republic.
Girls’ schooling rate in Erzurum, Ağrı, Kars, Iğdır, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, and Mardin is 100% and the rate has reached above 99% in the other provinces of the two regions.
It is obvious that this pleasing development is related to the educational assistance provided recent years. Encouraging studies should be performed in order girls’ to continue their education in 2nd and 3rd four years periods.
For instance, educational assistance for girls may be gradually increased.
Illiterate rate of women above 25 years is around 50%. It is important to plan studies to literate women in this age group.
About Right of Succession
65% of women do not receive a share from inheritance under no circumstances. Women request for inheritance share in accepted as shame and those women who attempt for this are excluded and punished.
75% of the women who told that they were able to get shares from inheritance specified civil code was used and the remaining 25% specified that traditional rules were used while the shares are determined.
Receiving equal shares from the inheritance appropriately to the civil code shall be an important indicator of road to gender equality.
Wars, Conflicts
Wars and conflicts happening around our country mostly effects women. We consider life struggle of societies that are exposed to ISIS terror as self-defense without forgetting “There is no reasonable violence” principle and we hope they shall come through this struggle, all refugees that refuge to our and other countries shall be able to return to their homes as soon as possible and they continue their honorable struggle as new world order has been establishing.
We try to give all kinds of support lie in our power to all refugees.
Our Expectations from the Ministry of Family and Social Policies
- Violence Monitoring Committee that performed effective studies and gathered semi-annually with the invitation and presidency of the Ministry of Family and Social Policies in the previous period, should be gathered again.
- Execution of Circular No: 2006/17 should be ensured, law no 6284 should be enforceable with its all articles.
- Implementations such as identity change and obstruction that should begin after restraining order should be put into practice and be implemented punctiliously.
- Ministry of Family and Social Policies should be engaged in dialogue with women’s organizations.
Last Words
There cannot be a progress in the societies where women are exposed to violence and cannot make benefit of rights and opportunities.
The way to democracy goes through gender equality.
KAMER FOUNDATION