Married women in Türkiye will be able to use their maiden name without any reference to their husbands’ surnames. The Turkish Constitutional Court has decided to annul Article 187 of the Turkish Civil Code, which compelled women to take their husbands’ surnames and ditch their own after marriage. The landmark ruling last month has paved […]
Thousands of women across Turkiye took part in the annual International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls on Friday, 25 November. Yet for some, their attempts at peaceful protest were met with a heavy-handed and violent response from police in several districts. In Istanbul, despite it being a tradition to assemble […]
It seems that I am repeating myself, but I can’t stop asking the question: “What has changed since my article from 25 November 2020? And once again, I am very saddened to say, “Nothing!” Unfortunately, nothing has changed except the numbers. Although violence against women and girls is PREVENTABLE, the numbers on violence against women […]
Marked on 8 March every year, the International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global event to celebrate women’s achievements and also to demand women’s equality. In Istanbul there was again an air of defiance among the metropolis’ women. Each year, in Turkiye as in other parts of the world, many notable events take place on […]
Women have taken to the streets to demand President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reverses his decree for Turkey to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. The international treaty aims to curb violence against women. Thousands descended on Rıhtım Meydanı in Kadıköy, Istanbul, to protest the decision. Smaller demonstrations took place elsewhere in the country, including Izmir, Bursa, Manisa, […]
One year has flown by since 25 November 2019. Exactly 365 days since we demonstrated globally to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, and what has changed since that day? Nothing! Nothing has changed, and unfortunately with the Covid-19 pandemic with lockdowns and quarantine days, the reality is that violence against women and […]
A year after they were given the right to vote and stand for office, 17 Turkish women were elected to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) on 8 February 1935. A by-election in 1936 saw their number increase to 18 and they constituted 4.6% of the Parliament: the second biggest proportion of female MPs […]
