Street interview: Women want to live in “safe” country, criticize impunity

We spoke to women in Istanbul about International Women’s Day. Some say that Turkey is not a safe country for women while others criticize impunity for femicide. Women living in Turkey have been subjected to harassment, rape, and violence and they demand the state to fulfill its responsibility.

ELİF AKGÜL

Istanbul – Before March 8, International Women’s Day, we spoke to women in Istanbul about what kind of difficulties they face and their message for International Women’s Day. Almost all women we interviewed want to live in a “safe” country. They told us that they don’t feel safe even when they walk the streets. Impunity for gender-based violence reinforces their feeling of insecurity. The women we interviewed said that the perpetrators of violence aren’t arrested. This situation leaves them hopeless for the future.

“Killers of women are released from prison after three months”

Şengül Özyiğit: “People should respect women. We should end femicide. Many women have suffered from violence. New laws should be enacted to prevent violence against women and femicide. There is a policy of impunity. People who commit crimes are encouraged. Killers of women are released from prison after three months in prison.”

“He harassed a woman during daylight”

Shopkeeper Şehnaz Ünsal: “Yesterday, a woman entered my shop. She asked me if she could check the recordings of my security camera.  A man in his car had harassed her during daylight. The woman was so angry and scared. Then she called her husband and she waited for her husband. How dare a man could harass a woman during daylight?

“Women are considered less valuable to society”

“We don’t have rights to walk outside free and to work. Women are accused of being “shameless and immoral” just because of their clothes. The woman is created as the most beautiful creature on earth. But now, women are considered less valuable to society. They are battered, subjected to oppression… Violence against women is on the rise because necessary steps haven’t been taken to prevent gender-based violence. When a man uses violence against his wife, he is released by the court because of his good behavior during the trial. The criminals walk around freely. One of the causes of violence is the lack of education. Education begins at home. Children first learn from their parents. Boys do whatever their fathers do. Men use violence against their wives and insult them. What will their children do when they grow up? They will do what their fathers do. Punishments are not deterrents. The policy of impunity encourages men. The state should support women more. Women need support to defend their rights so that they will not bow to this injustice and raise their awareness. I do not believe that women, victims of violence receive enough support. The state supports them for one or two days. Where will they go? They, of course, return their home, where they are subjected to violence.”

“I file a criminal complaint against my husband but he is released in an hour”

Mutlu Sivlim, a street flower seller in Kadiköy: “All women want is peace at home. My husband is a drug addict, I want him to get rid of his addict and take care of us. Women carry all burdens; we have to clean the house, look after our children, and work but we are still battered. I file criminal complaints against my husband many times for using drugs and violence against us. Police detain him. After holding him in custody an hour, they release him. They shouldn’t release him; they should send him to prison. “

“We want an Istanbul where we can walk comfortably”

A 19-year-old woman: “We want an Istanbul where we can walk comfortably. Most parents believe that there are differences between boys and girls. Girls are raised to remain silent while boys are raised to be extravagant. Parents should teach their sons not to use violence against girls and women. I don’t feel safe because of the increasing number of rape cases in the last two or three years. People just want to protect themselves. People don’t want to have children anymore because they can't protect themselves, how they can protect their children. When I go out and return home safe, I feel lucky.”

“We need snap elections”

Fatma Akçabay, a retired teacher: “They withdrew from the Istanbul Convention while women are killed every day. There is no justice, no freedom. Due to the economic crisis, we cannot travel. I am a retired teacher and my friend is also a retired teacher. We worked for years. But now we cannot make ends meet. The agriculture, health, and education sectors are collapsed because one man decides about everything in the country. We need snap elections.”