Gender discrimination is unacceptable: Erdoğan
ANKARA
Violence against women and children is a “crime against humanity,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, marking March 8 International Women’s Day.
“News reports about the killing of women and violence against women disturbs me gravely. I believe the person who thinks a woman deserves such an attitude just because of her gender does not partake in humanity,” Erdoğan said on March 7, at an organization of the Hak-İş Union to mark International Women’s Day in Ankara.
“All of these kinds of acts are crimes against humanity,” he added.
“The problem that we should solve is eliminating the environment that encourages perverts and savages to act. We will do it together,” Erdoğan said.
The president also stated that gender discrimination is “not compatible with Turkey’s culture,” adding that “those who try to track these [acts] back to our beliefs and culture definitely have malicious intentions.”
“We, as a part of a civilization where women and men are considered as two sides of a coin, are against all kinds of sexist approaches. We are determined to continue our struggle against a twisted understanding that is the cause of much pain that disregards human dignity. These kinds of sexist approaches are against our culture, history and the dynamics of our social life,” read a written statement from the Presidential Office to mark International Women’s Day.
“Any understanding that excludes women from all aspects of life - primarily from politics, the economy and education - is a great danger and deficiency for the whole society, not just for our sisters,” the statement added.
“It is unacceptable for women to face abuse, violence and injustice just because of their gender. Standing with women against this discrimination and injustice is our humanitarian duty,” it read, adding that the violence against women is a global problem that “should be tackled with a rights and justice-based understanding.”
“In order to correct the wrongs and deficiencies from past, we have implemented many regulations, including positive discriminations for our women in every field like education, health, employment and participation in political life,” the statement also read.
