WAN - Stating that silence means approval of violence, TJA member Ayse Minaz stated that social reaction should be organised against violence against women and the policiy of impunity.
In Turkey, the policy of impunity in judicial processes, non-implementation of laws, protection of perpetrators and massacres of women are increasing day by day. According to JINNEWS's violence tally for March, 24 women and 4 children were murdered, 14 women and 1 child died suspiciously. While this violence against women continues, the discourse of domination over the female body has reaced the football field by the government. Free Women Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) Ayse Minas spoke about the increasing massacres and violence against women in Kurdistan.
Ayse Minaz stated that the massacres of women in Kurdistan have increased and that this situation is a reflection of social decay. Ayse Minaz sad that many mechanisms where women can exist and have a voice in society have been narrowed down, and that the increasing massacres are not only a murder committed by the perpetrator, but also the society, social judgements and the systemic power that feeds the perpetrator.
Ayse Minaz said, "In Kurdistan, the woman's body has turned into a battlefield. A woman has to protect not only her own body, but also her language, culture, self and many social nuances. Therefore, when she realises these, she is a target. The perpetrator is not alone, there are many mechanisms that protect the perpetrator and within these mechanisms there are justice, law enforcement and social mechanisms of the system."
'MASSACRES OF WOMEN ARE POLITICAL'
Stressing that the massacres of women in Kurdistna are not only the death of a woman, but also a serious attack on the national identity of Kurdish women, Ayse Minaz said, "That is why we express this at every point; women's murders are political. Because the body of Kurdish women is being turned into a field of resistance here. Because a woman is not only a person living in society, but also an entity that transmits memory and carries a political identity, she is a target for all mechanisms."
Stating that the society does not speak out against the massacres of women enough, Ayse Minaz added, "When the society does not speak out against the murders of women, massacres of women, harassment and rape against women, it actually reinforces and accepts this at some point. Social reactions are very important. As women, we are not defenceless, we can solidarise together. There are areas where we can make ourselves strong in many mechanisms. We need to be together in these areas. Social silence approves violence, so we have to act together with women in order to stand against all possible violence, not approved violence. A women's organisation needs to be organised very quickly together with local governments and NGOs."