The Women and Family Services Department of Diyarbakir (Amed) Metropolitan Municipality, together with the women’s policy directorates of district municipalities, is meeting women village by village to raise social awareness against the rising femicides and violence against women. Within the scope of the campaign “Our word is not over, we will stop violence together,” launched last November and set to continue for a year, the work has been actively carried out in the field for the past month.
In addition to the central districts, the teams have been traveling from village to village, meeting dozens of women and holding gatherings. They draw attention to the growing violence and particularly highlight the often invisible forms of violence, psychological and economic. Listening to women’s problems, the teams record them one by one and put possible solutions on the table.
Sociologist Eylem Kaya from the Diyarbakir Center for Research and Practice on Women’s Issues (DIKASUM), who is part of the fieldwork, said that their work is indefinite and that they aim to reach women wherever possible. She noted that especially in rural areas, women tend to emphasize family and village problems before their own issues, which in turn makes violence less visible. Kaya stated that through these awareness-raising efforts, they aim to reduce male violence against women and femicides.
Kaya also said that they address the root causes of this violence, stressing that it is a social problem and pointing out that the growing policy of impunity contributes to it. She shared details about their work in the field and the feedback they have received from women.
We hear of four femicides in just one week
Eylem Kaya drew attention to the recent increase in femicides and said: “The killing of women has risen dramatically. We hear shocking news. Especially in Diyarbakir, we can hear of four femicides in a single week, including suspicious deaths. In response, we launched this work under the campaign ‘We revolt against femicide.’ We began to carry out activities in villages, neighborhoods, and central parks to spread this campaign.”
She continued: “Now we are in a village of Lice, and tomorrow we will go to Kulp. At the same time, in the evenings, the work continues simultaneously in the parks.”
Girls are exposed to digital violence
Kaya explained that they also inform women about psychological and digital violence and described the reason for this need: “It has increased very rapidly. Especially in schools, girls are very often exposed to it. As a result, we hear of many suicides. Because of what they are subjected to through cybercrimes, they are left without solutions. Unfortunately, since they are not very aware of application mechanisms and do not receive proper support from their families, children may choose the path of suicide. We want to say ‘stop’ to this. We are carrying out work to show that there are many mechanisms they can apply to and that we stand by them.”
Women voice their search for solutions
Eylem Kaya also reflected on her observations in the field and described the issues women raise: “When we generally talk with women, instead of focusing on their rights or the violence they experience, they talk about the shortcomings in their neighborhood or village. They say the roads are broken, the water does not run, there is no electricity, or that children face transportation difficulties in going to school. This shows us that all these responsibilities are placed on women. But when we dig deeper into the conversation, much of the violence they experience comes to light. When they learn that there are mechanisms to apply to, they often respond with surprise, saying, ‘Oh, so there is such a path.’”
Women are afraid to speak about violence
Kaya also explained the processes of psychological and legal support provided to women: “The DIKASUM has a protocol with the Bar Association, and legal support is offered to women who request it without expecting any financial compensation. A woman subjected to violence may also find it difficult to go to a psychologist. We even hear statements like, ‘I am not crazy,’ or, ‘If my neighbor hears, they will call me crazy.’”
Kaya also said, “So first, we have to establish a relationship of trust. Going to a psychologist does not mean you are crazy; it means you are in need of psychological support. We provide this service free of charge. For those who cannot come, online sessions are arranged, and for those who can, work is carried out at the center in their mother tongue.”