Commission debates bill on women abuse

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin gestures during a commission meeting on draft law improving protection and support for abused women.

Parliament’s Justice Commission approved yesterday the draft law improving protection and support for abused women, with the government hoping to pass the bill before International Women’s Day on March 8.

In a rare display of courtesy in Parliament, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) thanked Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin for her efforts on the bill.

The CHP proposed adding protection for the “third sex,” but Şahin turned down the suggestion, saying the bill aimed to protect women and discrimination and hate crimes should be the subject of separate legislation. The meeting was still underway when the Hürriyet Daily News went to press yesterday.
The bill, if approved by Parliament, sets out to protect all women against violence, regardless of their marital status. A new article added by the sub-commission allows third-persons to report cases of abuse. Women protected under the law will be provided with free childcare so they can continue working. The abusers, meanwhile, will be tracked with electronic ankle monitors.

A small debate took place after Ramazan Can of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) objected to separating women and families, saying the focus should be on the family.

“The family is important, but priority must be given to protecting the individual,” responded Binnaz Toprak of the CHP. “It is not right to see women below the family. A large part of violence against women comes from family members. We need to protect women as individuals.”

The CHP also suggested changing the term “equality between men and women” to “equality of sexes in society.”

Minister Şahin responded that the CHP’s suggestion was too abstract and the more tangible phrase “equality between men and women” must be used to prevent “problems in execution.”