Gender-based inequality continues to deprive women of their right to life. In the first three months of 2024, 98 women were murdered by men. Between March 8, 2023, and April 8, 2024, a total of 363 women were killed by men for various reasons and in various ways.
The distribution of women killed by men by age is as follows:
- 217 women aged 36 and above
- 129 women between the ages of 19 and 35
- 17 girls under the age of 18
Who are killing women?
Women are killed by their husbands, partners, ex-husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, male relatives, acquaintances, and strangers. In the past 396 days, 39% of the 363 women murdered were killed by their husbands. All statistics show that women are most often killed by their husbands.
In the past 396 days, 141 women were killed by their husbands, 47 women by their partners, 38 women by their ex-husbands, 36 women by men they knew, and 23 women by their sons.
In addition to adult women, 17 girls under 18 were also killed by their fathers, brothers, or other men who killed their mothers, while trying to protect them or being present at the moment of the murder.
How are women killed by men?
Since March 8 last year, 215 women were killed with firearms, 102 women with sharp objects, 20 women were strangled, 12 women were beaten, 2 women were thrown from heights, and 2 women were burned. The cause of death for 10 women is unknown.
The fact that 60% of men use firearms in femicides raises the question: How do men have such easy access to firearms?
What reasons are used to kill women?
In the past 396 days, the reason for the murder of 211 women is unknown. The most common excuse among the men who committed these crimes is being rejected. 101 women were killed because they rejected reconciliation, marriage, or a relationship, or wanted to get a divorce. 15 women were killed for economic reasons, 5 women during an argument, and 31 women for various other excuses by men.
Women are most often killed in their homes
62% of the 363 femicides took place in the women’s homes, while 20% occurred on the street. The fact that the perpetrators are mostly close male relatives shows that the homes of women are not safe. 224 women were killed in their homes, 72 women on the street, 13 women in remote places, 10 women in cars, 9 women at work, 6 women in hotels, and 2 women in entertainment venues. The location of death for 3 women is unknown.
According to the data of the last 396 days, women are killed:
- Most often by the men they are married to, divorced from, or separated from.
- Most often for rejection reasons (rejecting reconciliation, marriage, relationship, or wanting a divorce).
- Most often in the homes where they live.
- Most often with firearms.
The data shows that at least one woman is killed every day. Women are subjected to violence or killed by men they wish to divorce, partners they want to break up with, brothers, fathers, and other close male relatives. Domestic violence and harassment are often not brought to court, and the issue is closed within the family. In cases that can be brought to court, the perpetrators are often rewarded with impunity due to factors like good behavior or provocation.
Women who are subjected to violence are often forced to live in the same house as the perpetrator. Therefore, women are most often killed in homes where they are forced to live with the perpetrator, unable to obtain protection orders when they manage to leave, or unable to be protected despite having a protection order.
Men carry out 60% of the femicides with firearms. According to the “Individual Armament in Turkey and the World” report by the Umut Foundation, Turkey ranks 14th among 178 countries in terms of individual armament. It is estimated that there are 17 million unlicensed firearms in Turkey, meaning that nearly one in five people has a gun.
Gender inequality and male-dominated policies encourage men
It is a well-known fact that the root cause of violence against women is gender inequality. State policies that deepen inequality empower perpetrators while leaving women unprotected. As a result, violations of women’s right to life are increasing every day.
In the “Gender Equality Report” prepared by the World Economic Forum in 2018, Turkey ranked 130th out of 149 countries in gender equality. All data and reports prepared on this issue point to the same root cause for violence against women.
The limited notification mechanisms for women, the difficult and often ineffective application processes for them, the failure to punish perpetrators in cases, the closure of files without even an investigation in most cases, and the shortage of shelters make women insecure about justice and often force them to live in a cycle of violence.
The issue in Turkey is not only with legal regulations. The main problem lies in the non-implementation of existing national and international agreements.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was signed by the Republic of Turkey in 1985 and has been in force since 1986, but its implementation is not reflected in practice.
The Law on the Protection of the Family and the Prevention of Violence Against Women (6284) has been in force since 2012, but women are still fighting for its proper implementation.
The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, known as the Istanbul Convention, was withdrawn by the political government in July 2021, but women continue to fight for the reversal of this decision.
As seen, the issue is not just the presence of legal regulations or the signing of international agreements, but the political perspective of the ruling government being out of alignment with these efforts.
Based on all these data, we can summarize the situation in Turkey as follows:
The political government does not even implement the existing laws or agreements it has signed, perpetrators in most cases of violence against women are left unpunished, and impunity policies empower perpetrators while weakening women, causing an increase in violence against women. Women continue to organize and fight against misogynistic policies and politicians to avoid being killed.
* This news has been prepared with a focus on women-centered journalism. No terminology, definitions, or comments that would legitimize violence, victim-blame, or reflect the perpetrator’s perspective have been used. The language and content of the news aim to empower women and carry the responsibility of doing so.
