MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Agiri-  The Teşî Counseling Center opened in July by the Patnos Municipality run by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to provide support to women victims of violence. The center, the first women’s counseling center in Patnos, has reached hundreds of women since it was opened. The center provides support not only to the women in the district but also to all women living in other districts and cities.

The center was opened in the district of Patnos on July 28 to provide legal, psychological and financial support to women and to hold awareness-raising activities. In three months, the center has provided legal, psychological and financial support to dozens of women. It also held seminars to raise awareness about breast cancer. The center plans to hold more awareness-raising seminars this week to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Women show great interest in the center, where three women, two of whom are sociologists and one is a child development specialist, work. Sociologist Elvan Demirtaş Kaya spoke about the works of the center and said, “The center is an organization opened to provide support and be in solidarity with women victims of violence. Since the center was opened in July, we have received dozens of applications. The women applying to our center mostly demand legal support. Until now, we have provided financial support to the women victims of economic violence.”

“Women become happy when they know about us”

The members of the center have visited houses in order to reach women. The center aims to hold seminars on sexual violence, child abuse and women’s health to discuss these issues with women. “More women hear about the center every day. After providing legal and psychological support to some women, the attitude of other women towards us has also developed in a positive way. Because they do not know what they should do when they are subjected to violence and when they want to file a divorce case. We provide legal support to them. Women become happy when they know more about us and the number of women demanding support from us has increased.”

“Such centers must be opened everywhere”

Elvan Demirtaş Kaya pointed out that women's counseling centers should be opened in districts and wherever women can reach. Underlining that the center provides support not only to the women living in the district but also to all women, Elvan Demirtaş Kaya said, “Women do not have the freedom to express themselves in certain places. Such centers must be opened everywhere. We will keep providing support to all women. All women living in Patnos and in the region can apply to the center for support. We will always stand by women.”