The government’s patriarchal approach is one of the main barriers to the implementation of legislation already on the books. Accusing women of not being “obedient,” men are engaging in physical, sexual, psychological, or economic violence. It is against nature,” said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2014, accusing feminists of “rejecting motherhood.” Two years later he argued that women who are not mothers are “incomplete,” urging them not to use birth control and to have at least three children to ensure the growth of Turkey’s population. This widespread movement ultimately led to the restructuring of many gendered laws in Iceland and offered other women’s rights activists an effective example on which to draw. Official information from 15 countries in Latin American and 4 countries in the Caribbean shows that 4,555 women have been victims of feminicide or femicide in 2019. May 17, 2015 . Fair Observer does not use personal data collected from its website for advertising purposes or to market to you. It has since adopted legislation reflecting the treaty. Social movements are critical for garnering attention and support but can be easily co-opted without meaningful change. In the long-term, women should have access to regular, streamlined services to turn to in cases of abuse, with particular support provided to vulnerable groups including transgender women and women in low-income brackets. They set out a plan of action to stop these brutal practises. Governments should maintain standardized records on violence against women. Within the next six months, countries should have drafted updated long-term anti-violence plans that incorporate the effects of COVID-19 into existing legislation and propose methods to fully implement it. By Author. And due to the coronavirus, 2020 figures are expected to be even worse. Most critically, perpetrators of femicide should be prosecuted in ways that stop the spread of violence. Protestors gather in Istanbul following the murder of Özgecan Aslan. Femicide in Turkey is on the rise. However, the problem remains that while many countries do have legislation on the books and are signatories of agreements that call for an end to violence against women, these laws are simply not enforced. Unlike many countries around the world, laws are in place to prevent and combat violence against women. The country’s former Deputy Prime Minister, Mehmet Şimşek, blamed the rising unemployment rate on women seeking jobs. In light of several domestic violence-related murders, female activists are rallying together to demand the government put legislation in place to protect women. In light of several domestic violence-related murders, female activists are … Even before the pandemic, there was an upward global trend in terms of femicide rates over the last several years. Unique insights from 2000+ contributors in 80+ countries. Although this was perceived as a positive step given the country's problem with femicide, President Erdoğan and his party have failed to uphold the principles enshrined in the Convention. But this doesn’t mean that the data on Europe is in any way reassuring. In order to effectively mitigate femicide, three main policies have been endorsed by international organizations. The remains of Pinar Gültekin were found in the woodlands in Turkey’s Mugla province on July 21. Latin America has seen non-intimate femicide rise at alarming rates, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Religious militarism is rising as a state ideology, supporting the use of misogynist language, since the cease-fire between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish government broke down in 2015, and the attempted coup in 2016. Femicide, violence against women and so-called “honour” killings are deeply rooted issues in Turkey. Women who are sex workers or work in nightlife are disproportionately impacted by non-intimate femicide. The hashtag #ChallegeAccepted was originally used by Turkish women as a way to honor Pinar Gültekin and prevent future femicides, but after its adaptation by Western celebrities, the original intention dissolved into one of female friendships and “sisterhood.” Similar to the Blackout Tuesday media campaign, when the #BlackLivesMatter feed was overrun with black squares that quashed the voices of those it was intended to uplift, the degeneration of #ChallengedAccepted undermined its ability to promote meaningful change and address femicide. Because of the public outrage over Pinar Gültekin’s death, Turkey is one of the most notable examples of femicide in 2020. In total, the global cost of violence against women and girls is estimated to be around $1.5 trillion, or 2% of the global GDP on a yearly basis. Register for $9.99 per month and become a member today. The neoliberal economic policies of the AKP go hand in hand with religious conservatism, reinforcing socially constructed roles, equating womanhood with “sacred motherhood,” and maintaining the traditional Turkish family model. WOMEN in Turkey are fighting back against domestic violence in the country. Needless to say, the government’s reluctance to take a strong political stance on violence against women is encouraging male perpetrators. Linkedin. Many feminist advocates see the problem as emerging long before this potential withdrawal because, contrary to the laws in place, the government admitted to not keeping records of women killed by femicide. Thus, because of efforts to raise awareness among women about their human rights, the same circles are currently pushing the government to abolish both the “Istanbul Convention” and Law No. In western European countries the average rate is 0.4 victims of femicide for every 100,000 women annually. The aim of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of femicide cases in Turkey and to describe the socio-demographic, clinical, forensic, and criminological characteristics of femicide victims and offenders. A pivotal moment in second wave feminism was Iceland’s 1975 “Day Off,” where women forwent work and household labor to join in mass protests against unequal pay. image caption Women in Spain dress up as corpses to protest against rising rates of femicide. Please help us fund this vital work. The minibus ride home alone from the shopping center was normally safe for 20-year-old Özgecan Aslan, a Turkish student studying psychology at Çağ University in the province of Mersin. Approximately 87,000 women died by femicide in 2017, and the UN has recorded an average 30% increase in reporting of domestic violence in 2020 due to the pandemic. For a woman who lives in Honduras, then, the risk of being a victim of femicide, perpetrated by a partner or family member, is 40 times greater than that for a woman in western Europe. Her case is indicative of the serious problem of femicide in Turkey, which the Islamist Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, recently tried to downplay saying that the murders of women in his country are exaggerated and that in 2020 there were only 234 women killed in Turkey and not 353 as the femicide watchdog "Counter Monument" documented. These cookies essential for the website to function. Women are more likely to work in low-paid jobs or the informal sector without social security. At least 474 women were murdered in 2019, most of them by current or former partners, family members, or unrelated males who wanted a relationship with them. Around the world, as in Latin America, the rate of femicide is stubbornly high. The Femicide Census significantly improves upon currently available data by providing detailed comparable data about femicides in the UK since 2009, including demographic and social factors and the methods men selected to kill women. Join our community of more than 2,500 contributors to publish your perspective, share your narrative and shape the global discourse. In Turkey we have a strong women’s rights movement but we also face a lot of opposition,” We Will Stop Femicide’s general secretary Fidan Ataselim told The Guardian. Send in e-mail Send in e-mail. Become a Fair Observer and help us make sense of the world. What #ChallengeAccepted Has to Do with Turkey – And Femicide. Share in Twitter. Burcu Karakaş is an independent investigative journalist based in Istanbul, Turkey. Gender wage discrimination is a real problem, and unemployment rates among women across the country are higher than for men. The 27-year-old economics student was strangled to death in a fit of rage by her ex-boyfriend, who then burned her body. Gender wage discrimination is a real problem, and unemployment rates among women across the country are higher than for men. According to the Turkey report put out by GREVIO, an independent expert body which monitors the implementation of the “Istanbul Convention,” female victims of domestic violence in Turkey struggle to achieve economic independence and considerable efforts should be made to help them acquire the necessary means to lead independent lives. This study analysed 162 femicide cases that occurred in 12 cities in Turkey from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2010. Conservative circles in Turkey, for instance, claim that laws promoting gender equality and providing protective mechanisms for women are tearing families apart. Despite the legal framework, lower-class women lack access to the state’s protective mechanisms in regard to socio-economic inequalities. Shortly after President Erdogan equated abortion with murder in 2012, the number of state hospitals providing abortion services dropped dramatically, leaving some women as well as health practitioners in doubt if abortion, legalized in 1983, was still legal or not. In 2018, 440 women were murdered by men in Turkey. Facebook. Many of these occur on International Women’s Day, March 8. The feminist platform We Will Stop Femicide began record-keeping after this announcement, and reported that 474 women were killed in Turkey in 2019, the highest in a decade during which murder rates of women have increased year on year. Femicide Is on the Rise in Turkey, and Legislation Alone Isn't Helping . Honduras, by a wide … Oman Library at the Middle East Institute, Erdoğan’s war on peace: The Gergerlioğlu case, Geo-technology trends to watch in MENA in the 2020s, Turkey-NATO ties are problematic, but there is one bright spot, Femicide in Turkey: What’s lacking is political will. According to 2018 statistics from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), only 34.2 percent of women in Turkey work, by far the lowest of the 35 industrialized countries. The Turkish government does not regularly release official statistics on femicide, but nearly every day the media reports at least one woman being killed by a man. This cookie consists of the word “yes” to enable us to remember your acceptance of the site cookie notification, and prevents it from displaying to you in future. However, despite the fact that many elements of the convention now exist in national legislation, Ankara announced that it would consider withdrawing from the convention, citing “harm to the family institution and promotion of homosexuality.”. If you took part in #ChallengeAccepted, you need to amplify the cause you overlooked. The murder of a 27-year-old woman by an ex-boyfriend has sparked outrage in Turkey, shining a light on the country’s shockingly high femicide rate and government efforts to … Gender-based violence is exacerbated in areas affected by conflict. © 2018 Middle East Institute All Rights Reserved | Accessibility Policy | Built by Social Driver. These statistics are collected and processed using the Google Analytics service. Since the government perceives women’s empowerment as a threat to the unity of the family, and “the strength of a nation lies in the strength of families” as Erdogan puts it, the rights of women are ignored at the individual level. A de facto ban on abortion is an excellent example of this. Learn more about how we use cookies or edit your cookie preferences. Femicide is defined by the World Health … The removal of protective legislation can create immediate backlash and unrest among women and perpetrators. Shedding light on the alleged origin of this challenge, many Turkish women have taken to social media to explain that this trend was started as a mark of protest against femicide in Turkey. The convention is intended to promote gender equality and reduction of violence against women through a series of prevention, protection and persecution strategies aimed at both victims and perpetrators. Therefore, social activism needs to occur alongside policy reform. Share. The occupation of Gezi Park in 2013 reinforced what was already know in Turkey: the different feminist movements are on the front lines of every protest, defying the sexist politics of the State and combating the political violence created by the masculinization of public space and speech. More recently, many activists have organized mass protests against femicide. Murderers often get away with reduced sentences . 5. But sadly, when it comes to implementing these laws, failures leave women unprotected against male violence. Women’s participation in the labor force is still low. The Fair Observer website uses digital cookies so it can collect statistics on how many visitors come to the site, what content is viewed and for how long, and the general location of the computer network of the visitor. Published on 21.10.2019. Between 2012 and 2015 there were an estimated 24,771 dowry deaths in India. 6284, two major accomplishments of the women’s movement in Turkey. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. While Mexican authorities reported 1,010 femicides in 2019, feminist advocacy groups say that the number of women killed is underrepresented. Your donation is tax-deductible. Family-oriented policies emphasizing the role of women as “housewives” and “mothers” are expanding at the expense of women’s rights. South Africa – The country’s femicide rate is almost five times the global average. Former mayor of Ankara, Melih Gökçek, said that women who are victims of rape should die before they have an abortion. Femicide is a huge issue in Turkey, with 474 women murdered in 2019 – the highest figures in a whole decade. These cookies track our website’s performance and also help us to continuously improve the experience we provide to you. As Turkish feminist scholar Fatmagül Berktay argues, men are going through a “crisis of masculinity” due to the loss of their positions as breadwinners and “protectors” and “maintainers” of women. More and more women who achieve economic independence are exercising their rights and refusing to stay in abusive marriages or relationships. Share in Twitter. The initiative was launched by the Council of Europe in 2011, and Turkey was the first country the ratify the treaty a year later. Since 2012 , the number of femicides has more than doubled in the country. For perpetrators with low-level offenses, rehabilitation programs should be put in place to prevent repeat or more serious offenses. The Turkish government has admitted to not keeping records of violence against women, but the Turkish … In the short term, countries must ensure that women and children have adequate support to report and escape abuse, especially in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. If the country has gaps in existing protections, it would be beneficial to work in tandem with local women’s organizations as well as with the chapters of international organizations that can report back on the state of women’s affairs and offer improvements to legal protections. 1763 N St. NW, Washington D.C. 20036. By collating femicides, we can see that these killings are not isolated incidents, and many follow repeated patterns. Surprisingly, there are three countries with a higher femicide rate than South Africa. Erdogan’s sexist comments are no coincidence, and his anti-feminist, family-oriented rhetoric has a strong influence on legal practices and policy implementation. Additionally, there should be educational campaigns to inform women about access to resources, as well as initiatives to encourage gender equality, particularly those aimed at boys and men. In Jordan, there are 15–20 reported “honor” killings every year. Similarly, women across Mexico participated in a 24-hour strike to protest the increasingly graphic murders of women around the country. Femicide poisons Turkey. The black-and-white photo challenge was initially inspired by the heightened violence against women in Turkey. Sign up to receive the latest publications, event invitations, and our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. “Women and men could not be treated equally. In 2011, Turkey became the first country to sign and ratify the Council of Europe’s Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, known as “Istanbul Convention.” The convention criminalizes all forms of gender-based violence and the signatories are obliged to take necessary measures to prevent violence against women. Twitter. Last but not least, current political tensions also have a negative impact, worsening widespread discrimination and violence against women in Turkey. Also included in the top 25 are seven European countries, three Asian countries, and one African country, South Africa. Worst murder rates of women by country. Women’s empowerment has a dual impact on domestic violence. Even before the pandemic, there was an upward global trend in terms of femicide rates over the last several years. Share in WhatsApp. Published on 21.10.2019. The rates of femicide differ depending on the specific country, but of the countries with the top 25 highest femicide rates, 50% are in Latin America, with number one being El Salvador. Her reporting focuses on human rights, migration, free speech, and gender issues. Even before the pandemic, there was an upward global trend in terms of femicide rates over the last several years. In addition, gender segregation in the workplace remains a major issue. One of many tragic and preventable deaths, Gültekin’s murder sparked protests against femicide in Turkey and reached millions through social media campaigns. Femicide still rising in Turkey, as at least 36 women killed in July ... 2012, Turkey became the first country to ratify the treaty. This article outlines the main issues surrounding femicide in Turkey, and how you can help. Women in Turkey are subjected to violence regardless of socio-economic status. Former mayor of Ankara, Melih Gökçek, said that women who are victims of rape should die before they have an abortion. Send in e-mail Send in e-mail. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy. In many cases of femicide in Turkey, the perpetrators are either ex-husbands or soon-to-be-ex partners. El Salvador was the Latin American country with the highest femicide rate as of 2018. Femicide in Turkey is on the rise. The rise of femicide is a public health hazard like any other and affects not only victims’ families but their communities, countries and the wellbeing of women across the world. In Latin America, El Salvador and Honduras are consistently among the countries with the highest femicide rates globally, while Mexico saw a 145% jump in femicide cases between 2015 and 2019. Join our network of more than 2,000 contributors to publish your perspective, share your story and shape the global conversation. Help us to inform and educate. Turkey ranked 130th of 149 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Gender Gap Index. In 2012, Turkey adopted “Law No. These include laws and legal frameworks that specifically forbid femicide and allocate resources toward domestic violence prevention; education and community outreach that is inclusive of women but also engages men and boys; and support, including law enforcement and other social service agencies, that women can safely report violence to in order to prevent further aggression. Women’s rights march, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 09/03/2020 © castromaca / Shutterstock. Fair Observer uses these aggregate statistics from website visits to help improve the content of the website and to provide regular reports to our current and future donors and funding organizations. A woman holds a photo of gender violence victim Lucia Perez, 16, with the message: "Justice for Lucia Perez in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec. 5, 2018. 6284 to Protect Family and Prevent Violence Against Women,” and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) launched national action plans for gender equality. Femicide – the killing of women by men because they are women – in Turkey has always been a longstanding issue. Violence against women is a prevalent issue in Turkey with around 42% of Turkish women aged between 15 to 60 being subjected to both sexual and physical abuse alone in the year 2009 and the number keeps on increasing. Konda, a polling agency, estimates that 51,5% of women protesting in Gezi were women. Voices Femicide in Turkey is rising. In light of this disparity between law and practice, community action is one of the most visible methods to force public recognition of women’s issues that can lead to further policy implementation. WOMEN in Turkey are fighting back against domestic violence in the country. The views expressed in this piece are her own. In 2019, the country held a two-day Summit Against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. Economic dependence on partners is an important factor in stopping women from seeking a way out of domestic violence. When the voices of the people are included in legislation, the framework to implement anti-violence campaigns becomes more tangible and effective. In the case of Turkey, it is vital that existing protections and legislation for women are not removed. Turkey was the first country to ratify the Istanbul Convention in 2012. Many countries including India, South Africa and the United States have seen increases in femicide rates. Turkey was the first member of the Council of Europe to sign the Istanbul Convention. In response to President Sebastian Pinera’s nonchalant reaction to over 130,000 women reporting sexual abuse per year in Chile, feminist activists staged protests that led to global popularization of the anti-rape anthem, “A Rapist in Your Path.”. Women in Turkey are women who live in or are from Turkey.Turkey gave full political rights to women, including the right to elect and be elected locally in 1930 (nationwide in 1934) according to the right, Turkish women have gained to the elect and elected rights before many European countries women such as France, Italy and Greece, provided by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Turkey's Femicide Problem. Approximately 87,000 women died by femicide in 2017, and the UN has recorded an average 30% increase in reporting of domestic violence in 2020 due to the pandemic. Share in Facebook. As defined by the World Bank, femicide is the “intentional murder of women because they are women.” According to the UN, 50,000 women a year die at the hands of intimate partners and family members, mainly through domestic abuse or “honor killings.” Unfortunately, as with many forms of domestic violence, COVID-19 — and the subsequent isolation and economic pressures — has increased rates of femicide across the globe. The country’s former Deputy Prime Minister, Mehmet Şimşek, blamed the rising unemployment rate on women seeking jobs. The effects of the pandemic will only continue to increase risk factors that include unemployment, problematic alcohol use, mental health problems and reductions in government social spending in areas such as health and education. One particularly active region of anti-violence protest is Latin America, which is home to some of the highest femicide rates in the world. The country has one of the highest femicide rates, and numbers are expected to be higher following COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. We bring you perspectives from around the world. Her death sparked outrage in the country exposing the long list of deaths caused by Femicide in the country. Thus, the reality is that women are vulnerable to violence with few protections, and those they have are at risk of being eroded. The Turkish government’s efforts to prioritize the preservation of family unity are costing women their lives. European countries – The European Council formed a pact a decade ago called the Istanbul Convention. In addressing femicide at government level, the short, mid and long-term expectations must be defined. Having more responders available and ensuring more temporary safe spaces are accessible is key to reducing violence and femicide in the immediate future. Economic dependence on partners is an important factor in stopping women from seeking a way out of domestic violence. As a nationalist and Islamist discourse becomes more dominant and male violence is seen as legitimate, women are becoming easier targets for abuse and violence. Removing repeat and high-level sexual violence perpetrators from the public sphere will diminish incentives for others to commit honor killings and sexual assault. Reuters. However, despite existing legal protections to prevent femicide, many women find themselves increasingly vulnerable to violence, unprotected and ignored by governments. Middle East Institute Share in Facebook. The Turkish system, however, continues to fail when it comes to protecting women due to a lack of political will. Turkish women are calling for change Credit: AP:Associated Press. "In Turkey, everyday we wake up to the news of women who are murdered either by a spouse, boyfriend, stalker or complete stranger," another … Dowry deaths are responsible for the murders of thousands of women every year, especially in South Asia. Femicide has damaging effects on all levels of society, but, first and foremost, action needs to be taken against femicide to prevent further victimization of women and girls. The type of digital cookie information collected during your visit and any derived data cannot be used or combined with other information to personally identify you. But Turkey’s conservative media has long claimed the convention encourages divorce and immorality, and AKP officials have recently started to discuss the possibility of withdrawal - an initiative kick-started by AKP Deputy Chairman Numan Kurtulmuş. femicide (59) Apply femicide filter data / data collection efforts (40) Apply data / data collection efforts filter VAW (29) Apply VAW filter intimate-partner violence (18) Apply intimate-partner violence filter jurisdiction (10) Apply jurisdiction filter human rights (9) Apply human rights filter misogynistic hate crime (8) Apply misogynistic hate crime filter At a time when preventative measures to combat femicide are obscured and governments remain passive in the face of mounting crimes against women, it is necessary for the public to speak out in unison against gendered violence and hold governments accountable for their actions.