Email Correspondence Ahead of the 2004 Feminist Night March
This year, however, violence against women will be the focus of the March 8 events: the rally at Abide-i Hürriyet Square on Sunday, March 7, and the actions organised by feminist women at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery on Saturday, March 6, and on İstiklal Street on Monday, March 8. “Honour killings”, which recently attracted some public attention after Güldünya was murdered in the name of “honour”; the sexual harassment we experience at school, on the streets and at work; the beatings and rape we experience within the family, in custody, in war and in prison… Unfortunately, the list goes on. In every case, women are subjected to systematic violence, and this is considered “legitimate”. Contrary to what is often assumed, violence against women is not rooted solely in religious rules and feudal values. The violence inflicted on women is also founded on a male-dominated system. Moreover, this male-dominated mentality permeates not only men, but also the state apparatus and the organisation of the state itself.
Over the past year, friends close to us, with whom we have organised women’s actions, have reported being abducted and raped by police officers. In other words, men are not the only perpetrators of violence against women: state violence is right here beside us.
This makes the demands for “shelters, not graves”, for immediate amendments to the existing law without waiting for the new Turkish Penal Code, for a Penal Code containing provisions that deter and indeed seek to eliminate violence against women, and for the persistent pursuit of cases of rape in custody all the more important. For this to happen, of course, the government and parliament must not turn a deaf ear to the demands of women and women’s groups.
Yet, as I have tried to explain above, none of this is enough on its own. What needs to change is an entire world, a whole way of life… This is why, as always, the struggle against male domination and sexism remains at the heart of our agenda.
Best wishes,
Meriç Eyüboğlu
Source: kadinkurultayi@yahoo.groups.com