Ignorance by Emrullah Çakır

The biggest challenge facing women and girls in Turkey is the ignorance and the inaction on violence. According to the "We Will Stop Femicide Platform” the number of femicides grew exponentially year by year. From 2010 to 2019, the number of femicides increased more than twice, from 180 to 474. Something almost all of these murders had in common was that the victims asked for help. Most of them were predictable and entirely preventable, but they occurred nevertheless because no one they reached out to took initiative and helped them. Everyone who had a chance to intervene but instead chose to ignore have a collective responsiblity in these murders. 

One of my mother’s patients was subject to violence from her father. Her father answered her calls, and followed her to the health center. My mother became aware of this during her visits. First, the woman denied it, because by this point she had already asked for protection from the police, more than once, and every time she was sent back home. She was told “that is okay, since it is your father.” After a few months my mother had gained her trust and she opened up to her. When my mother reported the father, everyone from her immediate family refused to testify. Not only that, a day before testifying in court, my mother received a death threat from her uncle. That is why she had to go to court in a friend’s car for the fear of being recognized and that is why she testified in private. My mother is the most anxious person I know, and I imagine that she was terribly afraid throughout the whole process. She could have easily suppressed her conscience by not digging into the situation, by ignoring and pretending, but she took on the responsibility because there was a life on the line. And that made all the difference. That is why, even though it is easier to ignore, we need to reach out. 

Everyone is indigant over cases of femicide as they come up on social media, but they are never the main item on the government’s agenda. We need to take concrete steps to prevent further harm. Lawmakers need to craft policies addressing violence against women. Complaint mechanisms such as KADES need to be developed to make sure all women enjoy their rights. Most importantly, promoting mediation with the offender needs to stop. 6 of every 10 femicide victims in Turkey were already exposed to violence from the offender, but they were pushed to reconcile, just like the woman in the health center was. 

Today, it is not enough to denounce femicide and violence against women, we have to take action and actively stand against it. We need to support local and international organizations dedicated to this cause, or even better, volunteer to be ambassadors in our communities and advocate for women’s empowerment. Because as more people are aware and observant of the issues, dangers will be recognized and responded to.