Helical by Lemis Koza

Life is just like a full of never-ending helical that are always connected. People face tons of  problems in their lives. Women and girls overcome more major problems compared to  males. Women and girls in my country are facing stereotypical and limiting beliefs that may  end up with violence towards them which is the biggest issue. 

Since we are living in a patriarchal society most males are raised with sexist words. Boys  learn that women should serve them at any cost at such a young age! We can witness males  having fun in a home visitation whereas females are serving them food and providing a  comfortable environment. Girls get conditioned to serve males and provide home care in  childhood, too. While a mom is taking care of the whole house without any help from her  male partner and the partner is having fun, a child observes and tries to analyze the  situation. Kids won’t act accordingly to the phrases we say to them, they observe and copy  the behaviours from the people around them. So what would happen accordingly in the  future? 

Boys learn that they would be the parental figure who enjoys spending his time at home  without having any concern about housework due to his female partner’s extreme work.  Moreover, it comes to the point that woman is the housekeeper, a people-pleaser who  forgets her own needs and is captivated by society’s patriarchal norms. Boys think that they  would get served at any time given by females because they are male. Even they can harass  women and girls by believing the stereotype that he is superior and nothing could happen to  him by just being a male.  

Society assigns opposite roles towards opposite sexes. The example that is given is an  example of daily life about female and male marriage with a son. While growing up,  mimicking the people around us is crucial for our future behaviours and attitudes even our  thoughts. Having either an unresolved trauma or generational trauma are keep on creating  stereotypes until we decide to heal. A woman who grew up in a toxic household where she  was limited because of her gender would most likely believe that her presence is less likely  to be recognised or appreciated. Unfortunately, limiting the daughter and idolising the son is  very common in Turkey.  

Most of the females cannot have a romantic relationship without their father’s permission  even in adulthood parents keep on being too much evolved in their daughter’s life.  Generation after generation women is being protected from their environment and life due  to the horror of her getting hurt. This can be sexual harassment, passing over personal  boundaries…  

Females living in Turkey are not safe. Stereotypes, overprotective patterns, having a huge  need for being suitable for societal norms prevent and create a blockage for a female to live  freely and unapologetically as an individual. These reasons end up with a high risk of facing  abuse or violence while walking on the street or even at school. 

There is a case that exactly shows inequality towards women. A woman defended herself  against her abusive and violent husband to protect herself killed the husband for her own 

sake but she is in prison without getting some penalty reduction for as long as I can  remember. There was a photo of her just after the unpleasant situation her face was full of  bruises because of her abusive husband’s beating. The case was self-defence but the laws  are being not clear enough is resulted in the responsibility and punishment belonging to the  judge. 

That is why stereotypes are the greatest issue they are facing. Dozens of lives were ended  due to violence generally by men and women who defended themselves to survive had the  pain of the judicial system. Women’s killers are generally a man and they get penalty  reductions just by attending to the court with a suit! Also, females, killers are mostly a  person they already knew; husband, father, neighbour. Stereotypes are exaggerating most  males and cause males overly believe that they are superior to females. Therefore, the  limiting belief towards females causes them not to be respected their rights properly.  Hopefully, there is a way to provide justice. 

Turkey annulled the Istanbul convention. The convention focuses on human rights. By  applying the convention and raising awareness on human rights, stereotypes would end and  the biggest issue can be solved.