Celebrities post black and white photos to voice solidarity with femicide victims in Turkey

Dozens of celebrities all over the world, including Ellie Goulding, Christina Aguilera, Milla Jovovich and many more, have posted black and white pictures of themselves to voice solidarity with victims of femicides in Turkey. The trend began after women in Turkey said that they don't want to see their pictures in black and white in newspapers after they are killed.

Duvar English

Dozens of celebrities all over the world have posted black and white pictures of themselves to voice solidarity with victims of femicides in Turkey.

The celebrities, including Ellie Goulding, Christina Aguilera, Milla Jovovich, Cobie Smulders, Eva Green, Florence Pugh, Halsey, Jessica Biel, Olivia Wilde, Emmy Rossum, Evan Rachel Wood, Sophia Bush, Demi Moore, Vanessa Hudgens, AnnaSophia Robb, Salma Hayek and Demi Lovato, shared pictures of themselves either in their stories or timelines, while also pointing to violence against women and femicides in Turkey.

The trend began after women in Turkey said that they don't want to see their pictures in black and white in newspapers after they are killed.

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Challenge accepted? Many of us are seeing our feeds full of women we love, in B&W, nominated because of their support for each other. Which is beautiful. But it’s also important to acknowledge that the hashtag took off and wound up overtaking a very important digital protest. • Beginning recently in Turkey, the black & white photo posts originated as a show of defiance in support of Turkish women, & specifically #PinarGültekin who was brutally murdered there. Turkey has one of the highest global rates of #femicide, with more than 500 murders of women recorded in 2019, & many more that went unreported. Turkey is attempting to abolish certain aspects of the Istanbul Convention, which are meant to protect women from domestic violence. This reprehensible action would quite literally make murdering women easier. Women in Turkey are protesting the lack of action or punishment for these murders by their government. They are protesting because every day they wake up to see black & white photos of women who’ve been murdered on the news. The instagram action was intended to show the Turkish government that all women know it could be them, their picture on the news, next. • While the women educating the internet around this know there’s no ill will in the whole “tag women who inspire you” thing that’s trending, it’s important to acknowledge the mission of the trend’s inception. And so in THAT spirit, I’ll say #challengeaccepted for #BreonnaTaylor. She was murdered. In her bed. By the police. 200 days ago. And not one of those men has been arrested for killing her. Brett Hankison, Jonathan Mattingly, & Myles Cosgrove need to be arrested & charged. I “challenge” state attorney general @danieljaycameron to pursue justice in this case. There is no justice until her killers are arrested. There is no justice until we end qualified immunity. There is no truth to the promises of police reform until there is accountability for murdering the citizens you are tasked to serve and protect. There is no freedom until all of us are free. For Breonna, and for our sisters in Turkey, I chant again today “NO JUSTICE NO PEACE!” #justiceforbreonnataylor #blacklivesmatter #Turkey

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Most of the celebrities were seen to be sharing information on the Istanbul Convention, which aims to combat violence against women, and how the Turkish government aims to withdraw from the convention despite the increasing number of femicides.

They also shared information on the murder of Pınar Gültekin, whose death prompted outrage in Turkey on July 21.

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THIS ! #Repost @annasophiarobb ・・・ I learned this morning, that this “challenge” originally began in Turkey, to highlight violence against women. The black & white photos serve as a reminder & action of solidarity with the women killed, as their photos appear in black & white in the newspapers. I love shouting out and supporting our sisters & seeing the beautiful faces of people I love in my feed. Let’s continue to support & protect each other Also, I want to make sure the original message is amplified. Lives are on the line. Please learn about the #instanbulconvention donate to women’s shelters, follow @auturkishculturalclub & continue to protect & stand with our PIBOC womxn here in the US. #Repost @auturkishculturalclub ・・・ The gruesome murder of #pınargültekin is spawning a movement against Femicides in Turkey. Take action with us now. Please Share! #eminebulut #gülistandokunerede ———————- UPDATE: By Turkish Women, we mean TURKISH WOMXN, TURKISH WOMEN, WOMEN IN TURKEY, WOMXN IN TURKEY & honor/celebrate ALL different communities in Turkey that are also at risk at this time. We have outlined many of these groups before & will continue to accept edits from groups we have missed. With that in mind, we ask for patience & logic as we work to make this better. For example, our inclusion of Kurdish women is not an attempt to erase the legacy of Armenian/Assyrian/Arab/All Aramaic women. Please continue to hold us to do better while understanding we are literally 2 people dealing with 100,000+ notifications, most of which are spam. Please refer to our Stories & first Story Highlight for the most up-to-date clarification & info as Post Content on IG cannot be edited. #challengeaccepted

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Gültekin, who was killed by Cemal Metin Avcı, is the latest woman to be murdered by men in Turkey. Femicides are a grave problem in the country, where women get killed or beaten every single day.

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I have never understood femicide or the hatred towards women. I have discovered that the exploration of my feminine energy and the coming together of women has strengthened my soul. I believe that the respect for women, and the surrender to the mystery of our power can strengthen the world. I’m so grateful to all of you who have been part of this unity. I support the women in Turkey that started this movement against femicide and I am grateful for you for inspiring this unity. Thank you ? @sofisia7 I accept your challenge #kadınaşiddetehayır #istanbulsözleşmesiyaşatır Me es muy difícil entender el femicidio y el odio hacia las mujeres. He descubierto qué la exploración de mi energía femenina y la unión de las mujeres han fortalecido mi alma. Creo que el respeto al las mujeres y el rendimiento ante el misterio de nuestro poder, fortalecerá al mundo. Apollo a las mujeres de Turquía que empezaron este movimiento y estoy muy agradecida a todas ustedes que han sido parte de esta unión. Gracias ?

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Data shared by We Will Stop Femicides Platform reveals the extent of the problem, with at least 146 women killed in the first six months of 2020, 474 in 2019, 440 in 2018, 409 in 2017, 328 in 2016, 303 in 2015, 294 in 2014 and 237 in 2013.

While women continue to get killed on a daily basis, the sentences given to men are far from being deterrent.

Women's rights groups say that the increasing violence against women cases stem from the government's policies of protecting men.

The most recent example to it is the government's willingness to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention.

"#Challengeaccepted," "#womensupportingwomen" and "#IstanbulConventionsaveslives" are among the hashtags used by the celebrities.

Turkey mourns killing of Pınar Gültekin by ex-boyfriend, as femicide toll continues to increaseTurkey mourns killing of Pınar Gültekin by ex-boyfriend, as femicide toll continues to increaseReport prepared to urge Erdoğan to withdraw from Istanbul Convention includes archaic remarks on genderReport prepared to urge Erdoğan to withdraw from Istanbul Convention includes archaic remarks on gender