Patriarchal order feeds inequality

Women living in Mardin, Batman, Siirt, and Urfa pointed out the problems they have faced in these cities and emphasized that the patriarchal order feeds inequality. They told us that they will keep struggling against the increasing femicide rate, suspicious deaths of women disguised as suicide, and special war policies in the region.

MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

News Center- Femicides, sexual assaults, harassment, and suspicious deaths of women disguised as suicide remain on the agenda of Turkey. We spoke to women actively working on violence against women in Mardin, Batman, Siirt, and Urfa provinces of Turkey. The women drew attention to Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, policies about women, the attacks on women seeking justice at courts, and the policies leaving men unpunished.

“We know very well how suspicious deaths occur”

Mardin Şahmaran Women’s Platform member Melike Bisikletçiler stated that the suspicious deaths of women haven’t been investigated well and the truth has been hidden from the public.

“We are all aware of the increasing suicides and deaths among women in the region. Every day, the press outlets write news about suspicious deaths of women. We know very well how suspicious deaths occur from previous cases. But the investigations opened into these cases have been left uncompleted. The reasons behind the deaths have been hidden from the public. The deaths of women shouldn’t be normalized. If a woman kills herself due to violence and pressure she faces, the reasons behind her death should be investigated and those who cause her to kill herself should stand trial.”

“Men are encouraged by the policies of the government”

Melike Bisikletçiler underlined that withdrawal from the Istanbul convention in this period, when suspicious deaths of women have reached their highest level, has increased male violence;

“Surely, the increase in the violence against women and deaths of women is directly related to policies of the government and the culture of impunity. There is an intense and systematic male violence and in the last year, the conditions during the pandemic have increased it. During the pandemic, women have been forced to stay at home with men using violence against them and the inequality in domestic works has increased. Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention is one of the main reasons for the increase in male violence for a month. Therefore, the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention and discussions on it significantly increases the rate of femicide. In fact, we have faced a gendercide against women and we have been left unprotected. For this reason, we will keep struggling for the Istanbul Convention.”

“Deaths of women are not a coincidence”

Free Women’s Movement (TJA) Batman Branch activist  Semra Güneş thinks that the recent deaths of women should not be evaluated with concepts such as “honor killing” and “honor crime”.

“We are all aware of the increase in femicide in recent years. Apart from that, the suicides and suspicious deaths of women have been also increasing. The suicides of women in Siirt, Batman, and neighboring provinces are not a coincidence. During the Covid-19 pandemic, women have been subjected to domestic and psychological violence in their houses. The legal application mechanisms cannot be implemented during the pandemic so the pandemic has doubled these crimes.”

“They want to create obedient women”

Semra Güneş stated that the suicide rate has increased due to the social and economic crisis caused by the government and the crises felt in all areas have mostly affected women. She also said that women struggling against the crisis have been targeted.

“The current government wants to imprison women in houses with its policies. They (AKP) dream of legitimizing male violence by creating a conservative society. For them, a woman who does not want to obey a man is a criminal. Women who resist and struggle against this bullying become their targets. Kurdish women have struggled against the patriarchy in their society for many years. They have struggled against child marriage domestic violence and rape culture. The government wants to    threaten women with its policies.”

“They are afraid of women’s organizations”

Semra Güneş emphasized that the government is afraid of women’s organizations and women waging struggle in the region.

“We observe the big increase in femicide in the region in the last two years. The increase in social violence and state violence has affected the possibility of solving problems through dialogue. They are afraid of women’s achievements and women’s organizations because they know women’s freedom means the freedom of society. What has happened recently shows this. We will keep struggling against these special war policies and violence. We will raise awareness of our women in every field and stand by them. The system will realize how its policies are nonfunctional here.”

“Policies of impunity increases violence”

Cemile Altan, a member of the Siirt Municipality’s Municipal Council, highlighted the increase in the suspicious deaths of women in the Siirt province.

“With a great sadness, we have been following the recent increase in femicides, suspicious deaths of women, the suicide of women, and violence against women. More women commit suicide than men. Most young people commit suicide in Siirt. And the reasons for suicide are social and domestic pressures, economic crisis, and unemployment. The despair about the future, psychological violence, inadequacy in the protection of women, the state’s policies of impunity and the psychological and economic situation of women trigger suicides.”

“Attacks against women have doubled during the pandemic”

Cemile Altan told us that the government’s policies have also played a major role in the deaths of women and violence. “The negative perspectives against women and reporting violence against women as a normal lifestyle by press outlets strength men. Attacks against women have doubled during the pandemic. Women have faced domestic violence by their husbands, fathers, or brothers. Therefore, this situation causes the increase in suspicious deaths and suicides of women.”

“We have faced the crisis in crisis”

Urfa Women’s Platform member Eylem Salar stated that the increasing number of suspicious deaths of women in Urfa province has been made invisible and has reached a very serious level.

“Women have been subjected to psychological, physical, sexual, and economic violence and killed because they want to make decisions about their lives and to use their fundamental rights. As women, we have faced the crisis in crisis during the pandemic. Even the World Health Organization reveals that women have affected by the pandemic more negatively than men. After the pandemic outbreak, the rate of violence against women has increased by % 27.8. And the number of applications to women’s organizations has also increased. And unfortunately, our country has become the hell of women, an enemy of democracy, and an enemy of everyone who doesn’t support them.”

“Gender-based violence has been increasing”

“The current economic and social crisis faced by women has been getting deeper day by day,” Eylem Salar said, “Gender-based violence has been also increasing. The patriarchal order feeds inequality. Women have more burdens and they have faced more domestic violence. The current policies may cause the loss of women’s achievements achieved in recent years to prevent inequality and discrimination.”

TOMORROW: HDP MP Remziye Tosun: Women resist to live