MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed- The 25th Interim Assembly of Women’s Shelters and Solidarity Centers, which was first held in 1998 on November 25, International Day for the Elimination Violence against Women, will be held in Diyarbakır. 350 women from women’s organizations, LGBTI+ organizations and public institutions across Turkey are expected to participate in the assembly. Hosted by the Rosa Women’s Association, the assembly will be held from November 12 to 14.

Rosa Women’s Association will host the assembly

Speaking about the three-day assembly, Ruken Ergüneş, board member of the Rosa Women's Association, told us women’s organizations and groups waging women’s struggle will participate in the assembly. Many workshops will be held during the assembly, which will be held at Green Park Hotel in Diyarbakır.

It will be held in Diyarbakır again after 10 years

“The assembly is held twice a year in different cities; one is the main assembly and the second is the interim assembly. The assembly is a structure in which all women’s organizations struggling to eliminate violence against women across the country are components. It is organized by Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation. As a component of the assembly, the Rosa Women’s Association will host the assembly this year. Holding the assembly in Diyarbakır after 10 years will be very exciting both for us and for the women who will participate in it from the surrounding cities,” Ruken Ergüneş told us.

Many workshops will be organized

At the assembly, policies towards women and solutions about these policies will be discussed with the participation of many women who are experts and have experiences in women’s rights. Speaking about the assembly to draw attention to challenges and problems faced by women both in the region and Turkey, Ruken Ergüneş said, “The Assembly on Women’s Shelters and Solidarity Centers is a platform founded to share experiences in the struggle against gender-based violence, to create common policies, and to form a permanent network among women’s organizations and institutions. Many issues about women will be discussed on the first day of the assembly. On the second day, workshops about sexual violence, women’s shelters, policies against women, the rights of women and children will be organized.”

Women will discuss how to end femicide

Stating that the assembly will end after the final declaration will be announced, Ruken Ergüneş said, “The women, who work on the ground, will also participate in the assembly. We can say that the final declaration of the assembly will show the current situation in Turkey. During the assembly, women will also discuss how to end femicide and the lack of current policies. So, the assembly will also raise awareness with the aim of elimination of femicide and gender-based violence.”