We Are Not Giving up on Any of Our Hard-Won Rights
25 November 2021
The political power in Turkey is launching attacks against all the achievements of women and the LGBTI+ with all its might from far and wide.
Households that have become even more impoverished turn into the addresses of more exploitation and violence for women+. Resources allocated to war and rentier are not allotted to social politics. Women’s poverty has gradually been deteriorating.
The government withdrew from the İstanbul Convention, the ratification of which was made possible through struggle and the implementation of which we were monitoring, while it has long been getting the message that violence was legitimate across perpetrators. Impunity has become a common policy encouraging perpetrators.
One of the most important features of the İstanbul Convention is the fact that it indeed is a convention drafted following a struggle in this land. The European Court of Human Rights convicted Turkey in 2009 within the scope of the application lodged by Nahide Opuz whose mother was murdered and who was wounded by her husband in Diyarbakır. The Council of Europe called on all member states to draft a convention that would protect women against violence based on this case. Numerous women jurists from Turkey contributed to the making of the convention. And the Convention had been providing “emotional” support for both women’s and LGBTI+ struggle.
Women have always been subjected to violence, sexual torture and assault during times of conflict and war. Yet this had not been regarded as a war crime at the Tokyo and Nuremberg trials during WWI and WWII. However, violence and sexual assault against women are now regarded as “crimes against humanity, war crimes” following the organized struggle and demands of women after the war and conflict in Bosnia and Rwanda. But acts of torture like strip search are still being committed in custodial places and prisons.
The land we live in has been distancing itself more and more from human rights, international norms and standards, while at the same time becoming a place where violence is politically supported.
Yet we, women+ who live on the brink of threats to our lives in the streets, houses and offices, have fought for each of our rights and will keep on doing so. We neither accept the withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention nor give into those who usurp our rights.
The İstanbul Convention Saves Lives!
İstanbul Sözleşmesi Yaşatır!
Long Live Women’s Solidarity!
Jin Jiyan Azadi!
İHD Women’s Commission