In Amed, municipal women's centers in villages provide information about psychological, economic, and digital violence. Many women are unaware of their rights, repress their problems, and usually bear the burden of family and community alone.
Extensive awareness campaigns against gender-based violence are currently underway in the province of Amed (tr. Diyarbakır). Under the slogan "Our word is not over - we will stop violence together," employees of the municipal women's and family departments and local women's policy offices are visiting villages and neighborhoods to talk to women about forms of violence - especially those that often go unrecognized: psychological, economic, and digital violence.
The campaign was launched last November and is set to run for a year. The teams have been actively working in the field for a month now. The aim is to raise social awareness, break the silence, and offer concrete help to affected women.
Forms of violence that are often not recognized as such
One of the key observations is that many women do not perceive the violence they are exposed to as such, says Eylem Kaya, a sociologist at the DIKASUM Women's Research Center. She is part of the mobile teams that travel from village to village.
"In conversations, women often don't tell us about violence first, but about bumpy roads, water shortages, or a lack of school transportation for their children," says Kaya. "But behind this is the fact that all these burdens fall on women's shoulders. Only gradually do cases of psychological, economic, or physical violence come to light."
Alarming number of femicides
The reason for the increased awareness campaign is serious: in Amed, four femicides were recorded in just one week -- some of them as "suspected cases." "We now hear about new killings of women every week. That's why we launched the 'We rebel against femicide' campaign," says Kaya.
The campaign is taking place not only in villages, but also in neighborhoods, parks, and public spaces. "Today we are in a village near Lice, tomorrow we will continue on to Kulp," explains Kaya. In the evenings, additional information events are held in city parks.
Digital violence against young girls is on the rise
There is a particular focus on digital violence, especially against school-age girls. "In schools, we are seeing many girls becoming victims of cyberbullying, digital blackmail, or harassment," warns Kaya. Some cases have led to suicides.
Many victims do not know who to turn to and do not receive sufficient support from their families. "We show them that there are ways to protect themselves and get help -- and that they are not alone."
Access to free legal and psychological support
DIKASUM works with the Bar Association in Amed, among others, to provide free legal assistance. Psychological support is also offered -- in the woman's mother language if desired, and online if women are unable to visit the center.
But there are obstacles here too, says Kaya: "Many women say, 'I'm not crazy' or 'What will the neighbors think?' - but this isn't about insanity, it's about mental health. Our first goal is to build a relationship of trust."