Üsküdar Üniversitesi Health, Culture, and Sports Directorate and the Social Service Club. The opening speech of the seminar, held online, was delivered by Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Abdullah Karatay. In the seminar, women and violence against women were discussed in detail.
In the seminar, which took place in four sessions, Lawyer Şükran Eroğlu, Head of Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers Branch Nermin Fügen Özer, Prof. Dr. Özlem Cankurtaran, and Women's Murders Will Stop Platform Representative Melek Önder took part as speakers.
Prof. Dr. Karatay: "Ideological polarizations make the struggle against violence against women invisible"
In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Abdullah Karatay stated that all social problems are related to the family and, consequently, to women, emphasizing that social services have been working on this issue for many years. Karatay noted that social services cannot provide a holistic perspective without addressing the problems faced by women; "The main goal of social service is to help people achieve freedom. Women often face issues of liberation and oppression in their social positioning. Social service is largely a field that works for women. In this movement, which initially started with children in need of protection, the elderly, and the disabled, the primary resource has always been 'women'. Social service's involvement with women's issues is not new, but the work in this area is increasing every day. Pressures regarding women's participation in social life have always existed. This problem is likely to continue throughout human history. Ideological polarizations make the social service struggle for women invisible and cause it to lose its meaning." he said.
Şükran Eroğlu: "Women's right to life is usurped by men"
The speaker of the first session, Lawyer Şükran Eroğlu, Head of the Istanbul Bar Association's Women's Rights Center, emphasized that women's right to life is usurped by men in our society. Eroğlu noted that this problem can be overcome by accepting gender equality; "When we look at the position of women in society, in the 21st century, the educational status of women appears to be mostly primary school, which is a very saddening situation. In terms of workforce participation, the number of women working unregistered is around 40%, meaning women's labor lacks security. As women, we want equality, and achieving it is not very difficult. Indeed, the Republic of Turkey has provided this in its Constitution, but it is also necessary to implement this equality in practice and in people's minds. We all need to fight for this, otherwise, we will be discussing this issue for many more years." she said.
Şükran Eroğlu Provided Information About the Istanbul Convention
Eroğlu stated that attempts are being made to create misconceptions about the Istanbul Convention, explaining that an event in Turkey lies at its foundation. Eroğlu; "Nahide Opuz reported domestic violence from her husband 36 times but could not get a resolution. Eventually, she applied to the European Court of Human Rights, and Turkey was obliged to pay compensation. Turkey was instrumental in the preparation of the Istanbul Convention and was the first state to sign it. The Istanbul Convention is a convention that foresees the struggle to prevent violence. If women are flowers, those flowers should not be plucked; they need to be well cared for. The Istanbul Convention includes the article 'you shall prevent violence'. There is no such thing as only women benefiting from this law and men not, because the law does not differentiate between women and men. The Istanbul Convention is a law that defines and covers all forms of violence. Shelters that ensure the safety of women and children are very few compared to our population. We are especially pressuring municipalities to increase the number of shelters. All units must work in coordination to protect victims of violence urgently and effectively. Because violence is not something that stops; it is something that continues and increases. We should change some idioms in our language, for example, instead of saying 'like a man', one can say 'like a human being'; we must do this to create an egalitarian society. Currently, violence is a major problem for Turkish society." she used the expressions.
Nermin Fügen Üzer Provided Information About ŞÖNİM
The speaker of the second session was Nermin Fügen Üzer, Branch Manager of Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers (ŞÖNİM). Üzer defined violence against women as 'disproportionate violence applied to women solely because they are women', and explained that violence against girls under the age of 18 is also included within the scope of violence against women. Üzer; "ŞÖNİM has a support line that can be reached whenever called. ŞÖNİM provides legal and psychological support, and shelter if needed. When a woman asks for help from any police station, the police contact us. Women's shelters are institutions that house women who have experienced sexual, economic, or social abuse. Here, women are provided with accommodation services, psycho-social support, allowance support, and legal support. At ŞÖNİM, we work in coordination with our partners, İŞKUR, gendarmerie, and police. With our ALO 183 helpline, we are available 24/7. Regardless of the circumstances, the perpetrator is responsible for violence. It is essential for victims of violence to receive support to protect themselves from violence. The most important characteristic of a professional should be sensitivity. The best course of action for the victim is not the decision of experts, but to explain their rights to the victim and let them make the decision. If we mix our emotions and thoughts into our work, we cannot be objective. When intervening with a victim, we must look at events from their perspective." she stated.
Nermin Fügen Üzer: "Regardless of the Victim's Fault, They Should Not Be Subjected to Violence"
ŞÖNİM Branch Manager Üzer explained that the principle of free service is at the forefront of their operating principles. Üzer stated that individuals do not experience financial difficulties when requesting help: "Another one of our principles is zero tolerance against violence. Regardless of what the victim does, they should not be subjected to violence. Officials should foresee a few steps ahead, plan, and inform the victim about it. Because the victim might only be thinking about their current situation during that process. The first step when intervening with a victim should be to take them to a safe environment. Afterwards, the victim should not be left alone; someone should always be by their side, as in some cases, situations like suicide can occur. The victim must be assured that they will be taken seriously, and mutual trust must be established. Professionals must be very knowledgeable about the legislation and master the regulations. Knowledge is power; you need to possess it to feel competent. Pity and excessive compassion for the victim can lead to wrong decisions. Our primary responsibility is to instill hope in the victim and help them overcome despair. We should listen to cases with a desire to understand; the other party understands this very well. In very critical cases, I recommend working with two people; if one does not feel well, the other can intervene." she used the expressions.