KADEM launches campaign against ‘persistent stalking’
Nalan Koçak- ISTANBUL
Women and Democracy Association (KADEM) launched a campaign on Nov. 24 against “persistent stalking” to raise awareness against violence against women and femicides, as part of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Sharing the details of the campaign, KADEM’s Chairperson of the Board of Trustees Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar said, “persistent stalking by any means is an action that frightens, disturbs, puts pressure on women, disrupts their peace and causes them to have security concerns. More importantly, every persistent stalking action has the potential to turn into physical violence.”
Underlining the fact that in many cases the perpetrators may be from the woman’s closest circle, Erdoğan said “as KADEM, we are working to build a society where women can live with dignity, without fear and with confidence.”
‘Stick to law’
Pointing out the related articles of the law, Bayraktar also explained the campaign’s slogan “Stick to law.”
“With our public service ads and social media content, we aim to draw attention to the fact that persistent stalking is a violation of rights, and it is criminalized in the Turkish Penal Code No. 5237,” she said.
“When you are uncomfortable, uneasy or restless, afraid, or feel unsafe, we say, stick to the law, it will protect you. The law is the most effective judicial measure. With the steps taken by the state, significant progress has been made regarding violence against women,” she added.
Speaking after the public service ad screening, KADEM President Dr. Saliha Okur Gümrükçüoğlu said “today, we are trying to raise awareness with this short film. Persistent stalking has recently entered the penal code and is considered a crime. We are trying to raise awareness by underlining that this crime also comes with a prison sentence.”
