RÜYA HÜSEYİNOĞLU

İzmir- Physical, psychological, sexual, or economic violence against women has increased in Turkey. Actually, the situation is not much different all around the world. 137 women across the world are killed by a member of their own family every day, according to a recent report prepared by the UN. And Turkey ranked first in violence against women and femicide among OECD member countries, according to the report prepared by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Violence against women and femicide has become completely systematic. And the decision-making mechanisms are far from making radical changes to prevent violence against women and femicide. This has caused these issues to become the main topic of conservation.

In Turkey, three women are killed every day by men. But women are now well aware that these murders are systematic when the officials fail to fulfill their responsibilities. We interviewed women in the streets of İzmir about the increasing femicide and violence against women.

“They are afraid of women because women are life”

Deniz Yıldız said that when people talk about violence, the first thing they think about is physical violence but all forms of violence connect with each other. “Unfortunately, the economy itself is a factor of violence. Women cannot protect themselves. They cannot protect themselves particularly when they face domestic violence. I supported women’s protests in İstanbul to stop femicide and to raise women’s voices. I think we fail to get in contact with women living in rural areas. I know many women suffering from violence. For example, there are women subjected to violence by their husbands during the Covid-19 pandemic. Before, people said that men earn a living for their family but now women earn a living for their family. This is a form of economic violence. Women have faced violence for years in Turkey but we newly talk about it. They are afraid of women because women are life. I think we are more brave and fearless than men. The state or the masculine mentality is afraid of this.”

Merve Aydın is a student, and she said she felt uncomfortable when she walked in the streets, “We think all men have malicious intentions.”

“It is impossible for us to walk normally and peacefully in the streets. I think most women have negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. We have to stay at home together and women have faced many difficulties. Violence never ends in Turkey, it has increased and this scares me as a woman. We are not even surprised when we hear news about killing a woman, because they somehow manage to normalize it. I know that I could have been the killed woman, one of my friends or relatives could have been the killed woman. Keep living knowing this is very bad. We read the news about a woman and then forget her name because we read such news every day. This cycle continues. When we go to a job interview if the person you talk to is a man you are not sure what intention he has. Women also face harassment on social media. We face harassment everywhere!”

“Verbal abuse has become common now”

Ecem Has is also a student and she is worried to be the next as a woman. “Maybe we haven’t faced such a thing yet, but we always have feelings; will we be next? If you live in this country as a woman, you always think about this. I am sure that all women think that when they hear news about a killed woman. We can only talk about physical violence.  Verbal abuse has become common now. We face verbal abuse almost every day. So we say, ‘The Istanbul Convention keeps alive’. People should be scared somehow, more sincere and more serious steps should be taken to eliminate all forms of violence. The punishment should be as severe as possible, men shouldn’t be encouraged.

“I had to raise my daughters like boys”

Sevil Coşkun lost her husband 25 years ago and she had to raise her children alone. She said, “I had to raise my daughters like boys because I live in this country”

“After my husband died, I felt that I had to raise my daughters like boys. I told men living in our neighborhood to be my daughters’ brothers. I deliberately planted this feeling inside them to protect my daughters. I'm not afraid! I always speak out and I recommend women to do this. Speak out! The state doesn’t eliminate or doesn’t want to eliminate violence. I don’t know, maybe the state doesn’t do anything to prevent it because it is male itself.”