Parliamentary commission on violence against women commences works

Umut Erdem ANKARA

A parliamentary commission investigating the reasons for violence against women has convened for the first time, during which recommendations on who to listen to for consultations were given.

Members and associations of the LGBTI community were also among those recommended for consultation.

During the first meeting of the commission, deputies from ruling and the opposition parties agreed that violence against women is an issue "above politics."

Hasret Kara and Arzu Boztaş were among those present for consultation on the first day of the commission's work. Kara was stabbed 43 times by a screwdriver by her husband, from whom she had demanded a divorce. Boztaş, who was a child-bride at the age of 15 and is the mother of six children, lost one of her legs after being shot in both of her legs and arms by her husband, also after demanding a divorce.

Along with NGOs working on women’s issues, NGOs working with the LGBTI community, such as LGBTI, KAOSGL, “Pembe Hayat” (Pink Life) and “Kırmızı Şemsiye” (Red Umbrella), were among the groups also recommended for consulation.

Violence against women is a major social problem in Turkey, where many women have been murdered by their husbands, lovers, or family members.

Since the Law on the Protection of Family and the Prevention of Violence against Women was adopted in early 2012, almost 700 women have been killed in Turkey. Some 217 women were murdered in 2012, 189 were murdered in 2013, and 287 were murdered in only the first 10 months of 2014.

The problem in Turkey is not only common among uneducated families, but also among women with higher education degrees. A recent survey conducted by the Business Against Domestic Violence-BADV project revealed that 75 percent of female respondents who work in white-collar jobs and are university graduates said they were exposed to violence, either physical or verbal, at least once in their lives.