DELAL SARI

News Center- Violence against women is a violation of human rights. Gender-based violence is a phenomenon deeply rooted in gender inequality and continues to be one of the human rights violations.

Due to the policy of impunity and the lack of protective and preventive measures, women in the cities of Turkey and Kurdistan are subjected to violence by men. Femicide is the most extreme and brutal form of violence against women. Women are killed by men under many ‘excuses’. Some excuses of men are “because they asked a divorce”, “Because they refused to get married”, “Because they wanted to make decisions about their lives”. The perpetrators of femicide are mostly partners, husbands, ex-partners, ex-husbands, fathers, sons, male relatives.

Ineffective investigations in suspicious deaths

Most of suspicious deaths of women are recorded as “natural deaths, accident, suicide” due to ineffective investigations. 23-year-old Şule Çet was thrown out of the window from the 20th floor of the building in Ankara on May 24, 2018. However, the perpetrators claimed that she committed suicide. But later, the struggle of women and her family revealed that she had been raped and killed.

According to the news compiled by JINNEWS from local and national newspapers, news websites and news agencies, men killed 246 women and 21 children in Turkey and Kurdistan from January and October 2023. 164 more women and 24 children died under suspicious circumstances.

‘We are in a time when violence exists every day’

In an interview with NuJINHA, Gülşen Koçuk, news editor of Jinnews, said that the wars and conflicts in the Middle East cause the increase in gender-based violence. “We can say that women are subjected to all forms of violence. One of the most important reasons for the increase in violence is the mentality that legitimizes violence and the perpetrators. Women should first struggle against this mentality.”

Speaking about the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, she said, “25 November is a symbolic and important day to combat violence against women. Women struggle against violence every day not only on November 25. We are in a time when violence exists every day and the struggle against it grows stronger. Women have been taking to the streets everywhere by chanting ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’. If women unite, they will be stronger and they will have a free, equal and fair future.”

The report of Jinnews on femicide from January to October said:

·         In January: 31 women and four children were killed. Nine more women and two more children died under suspicious circumstances.

·         In February: 10 women and two children were killed, 10 more women died under suspicious circumstances.

·         In March: 22 women and three children were killed, 16 more women died under suspicious circumstances.

·         In April: 23 women and four children were killed, 17 more women and four more children died under suspicious circumstances.

·         In May: 39 women and one child were killed, 23 more women and three children died under suspicious circumstances.

·         In June: 25 women were killed, 24 more women and five children died under suspicious circumstances.

·         In July: 26 women and two children were killed, nine more women and four more children died under suspicious circumstances.

·         In August: 28 women and two children were killed, 21 more women and one more child died under suspicious circumstances.

·         In September: 32 women and three children were killed, 22 more women and one more child died under suspicious circumstances.

·         In October: 28 women were killed, 13 more women and three children died under suspicious circumstances.