CHP Deputy President in charge of Women Policies and Deputy of Bursa Lale Karabıyık lodged a press release at the occasion of 25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Indicating that AKP policies with respect to women have targeted them which has also led to a sharp increase in violence against women, Karabıyık added the following: “In 16 years of AKP government, violence against women has increased exponentially. Between 2002 and 2017, there were 14,293 cases of women homicides; half of these homicides were realised within the context of violence in the family. Women homicides have increased by 392% between 2003 and 2017”.

Furthermore, she added that in the first 10 months, 344 women were murdered, 242 women were victims of sexual violence: “Women are killed in the most part by their spouse and family. Nothing has been really done as regards women homicides and violence against women, violence is growing; women who are also victims of poverty are also victims of violence and they are paying the price of the impasse of the economic crisis created by AKP. The economic crisis and its  consequence unemployment, daily price rise and poverty are cause for social malfunctions and violence”.

According to official statistics, women who are victims of physical violence from their spouse or former spouse at some point is at 39.3%, and those who are not explaining the violence that they are living at 48.5%. Karabıyık added the following: Women are not voicing the violence they are facing, they are killed in a barbaric way by some members of their own family and their children are motherless. In the first 6 months of 2018, at least 63 kids were left motherless, dreams of hundreds of women were torn apart”.

Finally, she indicated that women are not alone in their despair: “We as CHP are with our women. We must face all violence without doing any discrimination and distinction between men and women and we must act with that belief. Once more, I express that we are opposed to all kind of violence at the occasion of 25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and that we want an end to violence and discrimination against women. I wish a good life as they deserve to our women who are the basis of our society”.