MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Van – Star Women’s Association, which was founded in 2020 for women and children, has received more than 200 applications across the city since its foundation. The association fights violence against women and child abuse in the city and provides legal and psychological support to women and children. The association is working on a project for Afghan women and children in the city now.

“We have been carrying out alternative works”

We spoke to Dilan Kunt, the head of the association, about their projects and studies. “Our association is the only organization that speaks out about violence against women and produces policies in the city,” she told us. For 1,800 days, all activities and protests have been banned in the city, “We cannot take to the streets so we have been carrying out alternative works.”

Language courses for Afghan women and children

The association has received applications about violence against women and child abuse. “We have also conducted projects. Recently, we conducted a project called “We stop violence against women” together with Bursa Mor Salkım Women's Solidarity Association. Within the scope of this project, we provided training courses to taxi drivers. We also documented the cases of child abuse in the city. We also received many applications from Afghan women living in the city. They wanted to learn the language spoken in the city. We wrote a project and submitted it to the Embassy of France. Our project was approved. We have been providing language courses in the city for Afghan women to integrate into society. More than 100 Afghan women and girls have applied to our association until now. We organize the courses every Saturday.”

“More than 200 women have applied to us due to violence faced by them”

More than 200 women have applied to the association due to violence faced by them since 2020. “Most of these women were subjected to physical violence and wanted to go to a women’s shelter. 35% of these women demanded legal support. Women, whose children were subjected to violence and sexual abuse, also applied to us. We directed these children to pedagogues. We serve as a bridge for women applying to us by sending them to the relevant places. “

“Women’s shelters were closed down”

Pointing out that the women’s shelters in the city were closed down after the appointment of a trustee to the municipality, Dilan Kunt said, “We have been accepting the applications only over ŞÖNİM (Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers)”

“We will keep working”

“After the closure of the women’s shelters, ŞÖNİM, initiated by the government, becomes the only address of the women seeking women’s shelters. Most women don’t know anything about it and what they will face when they apply to the police stations. That’s why women facing violence prefer to apply our association. We will keep working for women and girls.”