Human Rights Association (İHD) Amed Branch Women's Commission announced the one year Women Rights Violations Report in Kurdistan cities at the association building. 

 

Branch board member Esra Saçaklıdır stated that violence against women is not only physical, bu also psychological, sexual, economic, social, class violence perpetrated by men against women and said: "As a result of these forms of violence, women who are oppressed under social pressure and who cannot see public authorities on their side are driven to suicide. Such suicides are social murders and the respunsibility for their prevention lies with the state. We reiterate on the occasion of our report; there are no suspicious deaths of women, there are ineffective investigations. The death of Rojin Kabaiş, who disappeared while studying at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University and whose lifeless body was found 18 days after her disappearance, must be clarified and those responsible must be revealed."

 

GENDER INEQUALITY

 

Esra Saçaklıdır stated that domestic violence is seen as "domestic issues" and ignored by the society and the state, and that this situation causes women to become even more isolated in social life and unable to make their voices heard. "The government's commitment to the principle of the inviolability of the family, which is the building block of the patriarchal thought system, and its masculine and conservative policies cause women and children to die at home, which should be the safest areas. The most recent example, murder of Narin Güran shows us that child deaths cannot be considered separately from gender ineqyality," Esra Saçaklıdır said. 

 

Esra Saçaklıdır stated that the decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention and the discussions on the abolition of Law No. 6284 deepened gender iequality, weakened the legal grounds for the struggle against gender inequality and encouraged perpetrators of violence to commit violence with impunity. Impunity policies encourage perpetrators of violence said Esra Saçaklıdır. 

 

VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO ELECT AND BE ELECTED

 

Esra Saçaklıdır stated that the government's unlawful arrests of Kurdish women politicians and activists as a result of the unresolved Kurdish issue and the pressure on them in judicial processes are another form of violence against women. Esra Saçaklıdır pointed out that the trustee appointments are also effective in the increase in violence and said the following: "Again, as a result of the government's trustee policies that have continued for three terms, the right to be elected of co-mayors Devrim Demir, Gülistan Sönük, Saniye Bayram, Birsen Orhan was violated and trustees were appointed in their place. The practice of trusteeship, which has become a policy of the government, deeply affects the social structure and significantly violates the rights of women in social life and their participation in social life."

 

PRISONS

 

Esra Saçaklıdır underlined that in prisons, which is another place where violence against women is experienced, women prisoners are subjected to physical and psychological violence by both officials and law enforcement officers during their transfer to hospitals and courts, and stated that violence against women has become an increasing social problem not only in Turkey but all over the world.

 

Esra Saçaklıdır listed the demands as follows:

 

"*The state must abandon its policy of impunity and ensure an effective trial process

 

*Making legal amendments and new regulations to prevent violence against women and other disadvantaged grops 

 

*Elimination of gender inequality, which is one of the main causes of violance against women

 

*The state must fulfil its duties in accordance with the constitution and international conventions

 

*Organising trainings and seminars to raise awareness of employees working in public institutions in order to eliminate gender inequality in society

 

*In order to ensure gender equality, the curriculum of the Ministry of Education should include courses that will raise awareness among students about violence against women."

 

MURDERED IN THEIR HOMES

 

After the statement, lawyer Berfin Elçi listed the violations. In the report, the provinces where women's right to life was violated the most were Riha (Urfa) (21), Amed (Diyarbakır) (16), Mêrdin (Mardin) (13), Wan (Van) (10) and Dîlok (Antep) (10).

 

The report includes the following data:

 

"* At least 39 women died in the region under suspicious circumstances.

 

* At least 7 women were driven to suicide and ended their lives.

 

* At least 49 women lost their lives and at least 12 women were injured as a result of domestic violence in the region.

 

*At least 19 women lost their lives, at least 16 women were injured and at least 1 woman was subjected to sexual abuse as a result of social violence in the region.

 

* In the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia Region, at least 68 women, including 1 trans woman, were murdered as a result of domestic and social male violence and 7 women were driven to suicide.

 

* Thus, at least 114 women's right to life violated in 1 year.

 

* At least 57 women were murdered or found dead in the safest place 'AT HOME'.

 

* Women were mostly murdered by their fathers, sons and married persons.

 

*Women were mostly murdered because they wanted to get divorced or because they had an argument about something. Some women were killed in their sleep and some were killed by their relatives just because they did not bring water."