Women's associations to work with municipalities to combat violence against women

Müzeyyen Yüce/ DUVAR

City municipalities alongside a variety of trade associations and other organizations are slated to sign an “emergency assistance hotline” protocol for the purpose of preventing violence against women, according to Federation of Women Associations of Turkey President Canan Güllü. 

Within the scope of the partnership that began after this year's March 31 local elections, the greater city municipalities of Antalya and Izmir have signed the protocol. Meetings have taken place with the Ankara municipality, which is also expected to sign. 

According to Güllü, the Istanbul Convention (the Council of Europe's initiative on preventing violence against women) in addition to domestic legislation geared toward the same goal are not being implemented, adding that in the past eleven years, because of this insufficient implementation, 2805 women have been murdered. 

Regarding the protocol, Güllu said that meetings with the Antalya districts of Muratpaşa, Konyaaltı, Gazipaşa, Alanya and Manavgat have taken place, and that the Antalya Bar Association signed the protocol. Meetings in Izmir have also been conducted, and the protocol was signed by the municipalities of Karşıyaka and Çiğli. 

“I also spoke with Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş. In a short time we will sign with Ankara as well. The municipalities will establish equality commissions,” Güllü told Duvar English 

Within the scope of the protocol signed by the municipalities, 'violence maps' will be generated, and municipalities will responsible for reducing incidences of violence on these maps, Güllü said:

“Based on the number of those calling the emergency assistance hotlines, we are going to establish a 'violence map' from province to province. The cities that have signed the protocol will be required to show performance in terms of reducing the number of those who are calling these hotlines,” Güllü said. 

“The establishment of equality commissions by the municipalities, the formation of women and family organizations, the organization of local equality demonstrations, and the formation of city councils are among our demands,” Güllü said. 

Disagreeing with calls for the reinstitution of the death penalty in response to the murders of women, Güllü said that the available legislation is sufficiently strong but that the problem lies in its insufficient implementation.