Surviving. Not living, simply giving a fight to stay alive. Fear, fearing for your life. Being frightened on the train, on the bus, on the subway, in the street, even in your own home. Going out of your way to not be the last person left in the bus, getting off two stops early just so you won’t be alone with the driver. Not wearing skirts, tight jeans, crop tops or short sleeved t-shirts; cleavage not even being a question. Fastening your pace as the sun goes down and you are not yet home. Walking the long way home because the shorter one is always quiet and deserted. Never, ever letting your guard down in front of anyone; learning to trust no one, being scared to leave your relationship because of that uneasy feeling in your stomach and always being extra cautious when entering a new one, just in case he turns out to be a psychopath. As much as this story sounds like a nightmare, it actually is very real. It is the life of an average woman in Turkey.
Read MoreIn this article, I would like to address one of the biggest problems faced by women and girls in our country, “Violence Against Women and Femicide”. In this article, the anthropological and sociological development of the phenomenon of honour as a form of symbolic violence normalizing the sexual control of women, and honour killings as a form of direct violence against women in the context of Turkey are examined.
Read More280 women were murdered in 2021 in Turkey by men and 217 deaths were found suspicious, according to the report of We Will Stop Femicides Platform.1 Every time we look at the news, we learn that another woman was murdered that day. Although we get frustrated, we don’t get shocked. The thought of us getting used to femicides is horrifying. How can a woman feel safe walking home alone at night, in an environment like this?
Read More“Look sweetheart, it’s not that we don’t trust you or that you did something wrong, but we can’t just let you go out on your own... Well, with your brother it’s different...” These were the exact words many young women across Turkey hear. Many are told that they should be careful when they go out on their own, or not permitted to go out at all. Unfortunately, this isn’t a simple familial thing, rather a systematic one. And just like all systematic issues, it can’t be solved with the snap of a finger and most of the time, the ordinary Turkish women has to be the one who pays the price.
Read MoreIt’s dark outside, I am on my way home from school. With every step, the excruciating adrenaline intensifies. My hand hurts from the tight grip I clutch my phone in, while trying to call my mom to prove that she is waiting for me. Even if she does not pick up the phone, I can still act a phone call and convince the furtive man following me to not to hurt me, since it would be tracked. As I wait for her to pick up the phone, the sound of steps gets closer and the dark sky lets me down by covering everything around and leaving me with paranoia. Is it just me or the news that I’m exposed to on a daily basis? Luckily, she picks up the phone. “Hi mom. Yes, I see you. I’m coming.” I start running to the random woman on the street. No, she is not my mom, but it helped the duplicitous man to swerve to another street.
Read MoreStaying alive as a female in Turkey in itself is the biggest challenge because of the grossly normalized patriarchal societal norms and expectations. In Turkey, by default, women are seen as mindless unimportant objects. As far as men are concerned, they can just act as they please, and women will simply have to obey their decisions. Women have to overcome invisible yet enormous barriers just to be able to get to the same level as men.
Read MoreIf George Orwell lived in this day and age, he might have described the situation in my country like this: “All Turkish people are equal, but men are more equal than women.” Regardless of age, the principal challenges girls and women in Turkey face are fundamental human rights: to live, to get an education, to start a family of their choice, and to make a living through a profession.
Read MoreIn the magazine published by National Geographic on October 15, 2019, Turkey is 114th out of 167 countries in the list of the best countries to be a woman. The difficulties of Turkish women, who were oppressed under a patriarchal system, are really thought-provoking. Unfortunately, in Turkey, there is a role that society has assigned to women, and this is where the problem begins. If women do not fit the role that society has assigned to them, problems begin to erupt and they are constantly battered, from verbal violence to physical violence. It is society that determines the role of women.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreWomen; human kind that has ability to give birth to another human. Women are precious like a diamond. They are first; like a coal they are dark and hidden, they need to undergo a process. That process takes time and effort. Lots of pressure, wind that tries to blow down, unwanted thoughts and discourse that wants to demolish. But after this much of an overwhelming incident, women shine up over greedy eyes of audience which is society.
Read MoreThe women can beautify everything they touch but, are subjected to violence and abuse in many cities throughout Turkey - perhaps under separate roofs, but all for the same horrible reasons. At the center of this violence lies the understanding of patriarchal, male-controlled society. It places women in an inferior position in society. In the shadow of the principles imposed by this belief, more and more women and girls in Turkey are exposed to brutality and even become victims of femicide. The notion of "what happens at home must stay at home" is forced upon young girls, and unfortunately, they grow up to be women believing that they should stay silent against aggression. In Turkey, the biggest challenge facing women and girls is this patriarchal system and the belief that any problem at home needs to stay at home and must not be shared with the outside world.
Read MoreIs it difficult to be a woman? Most people would answer this question with a big "Yes". But unfortunately it is much more difficult to be a woman in an underdeveloped country such as Turkey.
Read MoreThe literal meaning of fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain or harm. But in my country, fear means being born as a woman. This fear begins when the doctor says, “Congratulations, you will have a daughter ". So the reason for fear is not being a woman. The main reason is there is a point of view against women, and the possibility of changing this point of view is very low. Well, is it reasonable to put women in a mould and expect them to take shape in that mould?
Read More“Humankind is made up of two sexes, women and men. Is it possible that a mass is improved by the improvement of only one part and the other part is ignored? Is it possible that if half of a mass is tied to earth with chains and the other half can soar into skies?” ―M.K. Atatürk
Read MoreMargaret Atwood, a feminist author, once said “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” Turkey gave women the right to vote in 1934, before most world countries. In adverse, women killings, rape and violence against women has been more common than most world countries. According to research and statistics, women killings in Turkey have increased by approximately %300 in the past 13 years. %48.4 of these women were killed by their husband, which is known as “intimate femicide”. Femicides may be common in Turkey, but what are the reasons and the source of it?
Read MoreJe l'aimais tant que pour la garder je l'ai tuée
Pour qu'un grand amour vive toujours
Il faut qu'il meure, qu'il meure d'amour
I loved her so much so to keep her; I killed her.
Because for a great love to last forever,
It must die, it must to die of love
Read More“Pura vida” represents the brotherly love that mantles over Costa Rica. It defines the country as a peaceful nation. The statement is supposed to portray its population's kindness and laid back attitude: there is no harm or stress in pura vida. Regardless of the cheery image that the country portrays, there are still large defects that linger in the shadows of Costa Rican society which are overlooked by the pura vida statement. However, the abuse against young women in the region is an issue that the Costa Rican government can no longer ignore.
Read MoreWomen and girls in South Korea often designate the title of a “survivor” to themselves after a “mudjima beomjae” occurs near them. “Mudjima beomjae” translates to “do-not-ask crime” literally, or an unprovoked assault in English. This often takes place in the form of misogyny, such as in the case of the 2016 Gangnam Station femicide,1 where a young woman was murdered brutally in a public restroom. The murderer later said that he had intended to kill any random woman, simply because women had “always ignored him.” His statement sparked the hashtag #survived across students of nearby schools. This slowly transformed into activism for the official address of the discriminative attitudes women have to face in the country. Their logic lies here: Why do women still have to fear for their lives even in a public restroom in the 21st century, and be grateful for each day that they survive from such arbitrary misogynistic treatment?
Read More“So, when are you getting double eyelid surgery with her?” my aunt asked me half-jokingly. I didn’t know what to be more taken aback about: the fact that she was suggesting I get double eyelid surgery, or that the “her” she was referring to was her own daughter, who hadn’t even turned one yet. At a very alarming young age, girls in Korea are introduced to a world where beauty is prioritized above everything else, a society where looks determine your worth. Monolids aren’t considered beautiful, which is quite ironic considering the fact that monolids are more prevalent in Koreans than double eyelids. As a matter of fact, only about 32% of Koreans have congenital double eyelids. However, the problem doesn’t end with whether or not one has double eyelids – women must also be thin, have fair (white) skin, a v-shaped jaw, and a high, yet thin nose bridge.
Read MoreAs the month of May approaches, many South Koreans begin to prepare for celebrations and plan family gatherings and vacations. One may wonder, “What is so special about May?”. The truth is, it is known as the “family month”. With a series of family-oriented holidays such as Children’s Day and Parents’ Day, the month of May encourages many to spend time with their families. TV channels stream family-oriented programs and advertisements while store racks are filled with children’s toys and flowers. One special holiday, however, often goes unnoticed during this special month of May: Single Mother’s Day. Since the early 2010s, some have begun to use this occasion to promote awareness and break the stigma surrounding single parenthood.
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