Violence tops on women lawyers’ list

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

More than 50 percent of women lawyers say they are being discriminated. DHA photo

Some 60 percent of women lawyers in Turkey said they have been subjected to sexual, psychological, physical and economic violence, a recent survey carried out by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations’ (TBB) Commission on Female Law has shown.

When asked what types of violence they had been exposed to, 82 percent of women lawyers said they had been victims of harassment, 71 percent had been physically attacked, 21 percent had been injured, 33 percent said they had been insulted, and 17 percent had suffered humiliation. Fifty-four percent of those surveyed said their clients had refused to pay their fees, and sixty-four percent of women lawyers said they have had difficulty obtaining results when they have consulted legal authorities and often perpetrators go unpunished.

Gender discrimination

In answer to the question “How did you get relief from the violence you were exposed to?,” 64 percent of the women lawyers surveyed answered “through my own efforts,” and 17 percent said “with the
support of the legal authorities,” while 7 percent responded “with the support of my friends,” 6 percent “with the support of my husband,” and 6 percent “with the support of my family.”

Of those who participated in the survey, 57 percent of women lawyers believe they have been discriminated against because of their gender. A total of 3,063 female lawyers participated in the survey.