Interview with Göksu Özahıshalı, Campaigns & Activism Officer for Amnesty International Turkey
It is ironic that Turkey wants to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, especially when such an important document was signed in Istanbul, on Turkish land, marking an historical moment for all women. The same women that the Turkish Government seams to be repentantly forgetting and threatening with a constant waging war.
We have discussed the current situation of women rights, with Göksu Özahıshalı, Campaigns & Activism Officer for Amnesty International Turkey, in the light of the debates over the withdraw from the Istanbul Convention and the impact of COVID-19 on domestic abuse and violence against women.
Göksu finished her MA in Women’s History and Gender Studies in Budapest and felt the need to go back to her country to work on something more hands on. « Researching and learning about women’s Rights and history did definitely change my life for good, but I know that I needed to do things that touch people’s lives directly. That’s how I got to be a part of Amnesty International movement. Here I can be creative and learn a lot of new things daily.
I grew in a politically active family so I was always aware of struggles for a better and equal world. But I also learn that there is always hope and solidarity. That’s why I don’t like to focus on how difficult it is for women to survive in this society, rather on the feeling of solidarity. I see women’s movements and power. Nothing has ever been easy when it comes to human rights or women’s rights specially. It is a constant field of battle. Yet once you feel that you are not alone in this struggle, you start to see that there is hope, hope for a world in which women can live without fear ».
As Turkey plans to withdraw from the ‘Istanbul Convention’, what is the current climate for women’s rights in Turkey?
The debates over the withdrawal seem to calm down, yet even the possibility of such a decision is still at stake. We need to understand that even the discussions are really worrying, especially during the pandemic. It is a period in which women stay in with their abusers and they cannot access services easily. I think we should analyze the situation beyond the pandemic. For the last two years, the traditional 8th of March marches in Taksim has been banned. It is important to note that Taksim is a historic center for gatherings and has significant symbolic value for freedom of assembly. Now that we have 25th of November fast approaching, we are not sure what the situation will be. It was already difficult but now it is getting even more intense.
How does intersectionality affect women’s rights in Turkey? What is the situation for divorced, migrant women, and the LGBT+ community?
I would say intersectionality is a serious issue in Turkey as elsewhere. First of all, in my opinion, it is not widely recognized. We hear people mostly take women as a homogeneous unit of analysis while failing to consider different layers of oppression. Let’s talk about divorced women for a little bit. It starts with the judicial process wherein almost every step women are tried to be convinced not to wreck their families and forgive their spouses whatever reason they may have. Some conciliators gain points based on how they perform on bringing families together after the judicial process began. And based on their points, they get promoted.
For LGBTI+’s in Turkey, space is shrinking every day more. The government official targets them for harming the traditional family values. Last May, before IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia) we called on the government of Turkey to take urgent action to counter the increasing number of discriminatory statements and policies by state officials against LGBTI people. The authorities must instead promote equality both in their statements and actions. And migrant women are already facing financial problems and in many cases sexual assault.
What’s the current legal framework related to GBV in Turkey and the current situation of shelter houses and programs for women victims of GBV?
The legal framework is quite promising and comprehensive. If it was implemented fully, then it would have prevented GBV to a remarkable degree and saved lives. The latest GREVIO report (GREVIO is the independent expert body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Istanbul Convention) also demonstrates the gaps between legislation and implementation. While the law is very comprehensive, it doesn’t work that way in reality. Women are still afraid to turn in their abusers because of the fear of stigma and lack of trust in the justice system.
In my opinion, a major reason for this is that while the legislation protects women the officers try to protect the notion of family. I think it is gender and family policies of the government that encourage individuals to ignore violence against women by assuming it falls into the private sphere where everything that happens should stay inside.
When it comes to shelter houses, unfortunately, there are not enough of them. Also, women can only stay in those up to 1 month which is not sufficient for a survivor to adapt themselves to their new life. Studies show that Turkey has more shelters when first signed the Convention but as the governments started changing approach, shelter houses started to be shut down, one after another. This create real danger especially in rural areas where the facilities do not vary or are not easy to reach. Here I should emphasize that women’s rights movements are pretty strong in Turkey. They work a lot and create incredible acts of solidarity.
Turkey currently ranks 130 out of 153 states in the Global Gender Gap Index ranking of 2020. How is the government operating on the ground of gender issues? And how is the work of Amnesty International affecting government and policy makers’ decisions?
It is not a surprise that the government doesn’t operate very well. We have faced a big threat of withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention coming from the ruling party in the middle of a global pandemic instead of focusing on inequalities and intersectionality. It was progressive and exciting when the government signed the Convention and then passed a national law securing women’s rights and gender equality. However, we have not seen necessary steps to be taken, for years. As the Convention promotes there is no single institution that can “solve” VAW and GBV. Therefore, Turkey needs comprehensive and integrated policies and measures to address this issue. So that everybody understands that VAW and GBV are not tolerated.
Amnesty International is a credible organization for sure. We are happy that policymakers take notice of our work. However, I can say that we are in a supportive role in this matter. There are various women’s rights movements and organizations that have been fighting for decades to secure the rights we have now. We can only try amplifying their voices by using our channels and contacts. We are in close contact with some of them so that we follow their lead and adapt their work to ours. It is important to pay our respect to the many activists fighting for gender equity.
Which are the campaigns currently implemented by AI in Turkey regarding gender and women rights?
Right now, our biggest campaign regarding women’s rights focuses on the full implementation of the Istanbul Convention. It first started as a reactive campaign after the unexpected public debates took over our agenda. Now we go for a bigger change. Amnesty International Turkey call authorities to stop debating about the withdrawal which is already harming a lot of women and girls. Instead, we want them to take responsibility and find ways to implement every aspect of the Istanbul Convention. It is not going to happen over a night, but we aim for long-term policies and plans to be developed to prevent GBV. The Convention was ratified over six years ago, although there are positive improvements, Turkey has a long way to go. Additionally, we carry human rights education on gender equity. We know for a fact that public awareness is very low. All the recent surveys and polls show that people don’t know what the Istanbul Convention is. But the ones who know support its implementation. Apart from our work centering Turkey, we invite people to raise their voice for women everywhere, because we believe that fighting for equal rights doesn’t necessarily need to focus on one’s own context with our urgent actions and write for rights campaigns.
How did COVID-19 impact GBV in Turkey?
Well, as you know, COVID-19 affected women all around the globe. Turkey is no exception. Research shows that domestic violence reached very alarming levels. Although we did not conduct Amnesty International initiated research, I think it is not wrong to assume the rising uncertainty and limited mobility along with economic and political turmoil in Turkey have a major impact regarding GBV. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been several high-profile murders and rapes of women in Turkey by men, including current or former partners. Women’s rights and LGBTI+ rights organizations that offer hot lines reports growing numbers. But also, we shouldn’t limit the effects of the pandemic on domestic violence. As in other examples, such a major crisis has multi-layered consequences. We hear that quite often, but it is important to emphasize once more. The pandemic has deepened the already-existing inequalities. At the beginning of this crisis, we hoped that it would create an opportunity for the future so that the governments could take reliable measures that focus on the gaps in the system. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out as we hoped. Women experience the burden of COVID-19 inequality to this day. For example, increased care labor and precarious employment arising out of working in unsteady sectors put women in vulnerable positions. At the end of the day, this unexpected period has shown us that we need to fight for equality more than ever and stronger than ever. We need governments to recognize women’s interests and putting gender equity at the center. So that we get out of this pandemic faster and build societies and systems where everyone enjoys their rights equally.
