Ending violence against women and girls
Despite international agreements, laws, and policy commitments to combat violence against women and girls, more effort is needed to end all forms of violence against women in Türkiye.
Gender inequalities and stereotypes continue to perpetuate child and early marriages and widespread violence against women and girls in Türkiye, despite legislative and policy commitments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Law on Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence against Women (2012) and 4. National Action Plan on Combating Violence and Women (2021-2025).
According to the National Research on Violence against Women from 2014:
- 4 of 10 women in Türkiye are exposed to physical or sexual violence;
- 3 of 10 women in Türkiye are married before they turn 18;
- 48 per cent of girls in Türkiye married by age 18 are exposed to physical violence;
- One third of girls in Türkiye are not allowed to go to school by their families;
- 11 per cent of women in Türkiye are prevented from working by their families;
- Only 1 of 10 women in Türkiye exposed to violence apply to an institution for help;
- 90 per cent of human trafficking victims in Türkiye are women.
According to the 2018 Türkiye Demographic and Health Survey;
- 14 per cent of Turkish women aged 20-24 were married before 18;
- 45 per cent of Syrian women under temporary protection status in Türkiye aged 20-24 were married by their 18th birthday, with 9 per cent of them married by 15.
Türkiye was the first country to sign (2011) and ratify (2012) the Council of Europe
UN Women in Action in Türkiye
Partnering with Türkiye’s Government, local governments, civil society organisations, women’s movement, professional chambers, private sector and media, and other UN agencies to prevent and enhance the response to violence against women and girls, UN Women Türkiye works to:
- Bring Turkish legislation and policies in line with international norms and standards;
- Strengthen the implementation of laws and regulations on ending violence against women by the judicial system;
- Transform harmful social norms and attitudes that perpetuate violence;
- Empower women and girls so they can access and fully enjoy to quality, essential multi-sectoral services;
- Mobilizes men and boys in support of gender equality;
- Support civil society organizations to bring decision-makers to account, advocate for effective implementation of the normative framework, and monitor prevention of and response to violence against women.
Within the Government of Sweden-supported UN Joint Programme on the Prevention of Child, Early and Forced Marriages (CEFM) in Türkiye, implemented jointly with UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women Türkiye:
- Seeks to change social norms and attitudes towards gender equality;
- Works on institutional capacity to prevent and better respond to CEFM;
- Works closely with civil society, women’s organisations and other allies to preserve and advance the legislative and policy framework in line with international commitments;
- Provides specialized services to survivors;
- Supports financial stability and economic empowerment of families and children most at risk of CEFM
The UN Women Refugee Response Programme supports women-only centres in Gaziantep and Izmir that provide counselling, psycho-social support and institutional referrals to refugee and host community women and girls survivors of or at risk of violence.
Funded by the Government of Sweden, UN Women Türkiye also partners with the Ministry of Justice under the Strengthening Women’s Access to Justice Project. The Project targets judges and public prosecutors working on violence against women and girls issues relating to the implementation of Law No.6284 to Protect Family and Prevent Violence Against Women, as well as experts working at Legal Support and Victims Services Directorates across the country. The Project aims to strengthen the efficient implementation of Law No.6284, and women and girls’ access to judicial and victim support mechanisms.
Under its women’s political participation portfolio since 2019, UN Women has been working on combating violence against women in politics (VAWiP) which negatively affects women’s effective participation and representation in public and political life. Currently, UN Women has been conducting a comprehensive survey on violence against women in politics, its manifestations and consequences. The survey will serve as an evidence base for the advocacy and technical assistance efforts to tackle the issue.
Funded by the European Union and implemented since 2017, the UN Women regional programme on
Every year, UN Women Türkiye leads the UN Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women by coordinating UN joint activities and communication campaigns during the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-based Violence from 25 November-10 December. Since 2018, UN Women Türkiye has been using the “Fireflies” for the symbol and metaphor of the campaign, as they use their blinking lights to light the dark and communicate with each other. UN Women Türkiye;
- Set up the info website in 2018, calling on citizens to indicate when and where they witness or are aware of domestic violence;
- Launched ‘Light the Dark’ in 2019, a public safety campaign where citizens pinned a firefly on the interactive map to show where they felt unsafe. More than 14,000 fireflies were collected across Türkiye, mainly from women, and some municipalities acted to improve public safety. Light the Dark won a prestigious Silver Effie Award;
- Raised public awareness on cyber violence against women and girls with the 2020 Light the Dark campaign. The website https://atesbocekleri.info/ - https://fireflies.digital/received over a quarter of a million visits and remains active. Find campaign results and information here.
- Launched #RaiseYourVoice campaign to draw attention to violence against women and raise awareness about what individuals can do when they witness violence. Find the campaign results here.