Marriage Schools: Learn how to obey!
“Marriage Schools” become the main topic of conversation after a new branch was opened in the Bismil district of Diyarbakır province. The state-appointed “trustees” to municipalities in place of elected mayors. The appointed mayors have begun to carry out “Marriage seminars” or “Marriage School” projects. Women are expected to stay in houses and to obey. The AKP government saying, “We will spread” the marriage schools across Turkey. Sociologist Berçem Türk points out that the seminars on gender equality should be organized if seminars are wanted to be organized.
MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU
Amed- Violence against women is on the rise. Women are forced to stay at home day by day and they have left without breath. Men killing women are protected in Turkey. Women have struggled for their rights while the ruling party tries to create women obeying men.
In Turkey, the number of married people decreases while the number of divorced people increases. This figure hasn’t changed in the last 10 years in Turkey. The AKP ruling party tried to change this figure but it couldn’t manage it. The number of divorced couples increased by eight percent to 155,047, 36 percent of divorce cases take place in the first five years of marriage, and 20.6 percent take place within 6-10 years of marriage, according to data given by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK). The data also states that there is also an increase in the age of marriage.
The ruling party has implemented a series of projects in order to prevent divorces. In addition to social pressure on women asking for a divorce, the ruling party establishes a “peacemaking” system, marriage schools and sends religious people to prevent people from asking for a divorce. Financial resources aren’t used to prevent femicide. In 2020, 300 women were killed by men in Turkey. 97 of 300 women were killed by their husbands.
What is the message of appointed mayors?
“Marriage Schools” is one of the practices implemented by the government to supposedly protect the family. These schools are now on the agenda of appointed mayors. A new marriage school has been opened in the Bismil district of Amed. What is the message of appointed mayors by opening marriage schools? What is aimed in these schools? What is taught? How will these schools contribute to preventing increasing violence against women?
In marriage schools, seminars are organized under the name of training courses. At the end of the courses, certificates are given to married and engaged couples. One of these schools was opened in Kütahya province.
Counseling Research Center Director Uğur Alıç, who opened the first session entitled, "Correct communication in marriage and conflict resolution in marriage”, emphasized that women shouldn’t participate in the working life and said, “If women participate in working life, they cause a loss of 1.200 TL in the total income of the family for ordering meals.” Women reacted to his speech.
Appointment of trustees to Kurdish cities
Trustees were appointed to municipalities in Kurdish cities. And the appointed mayors first closed women’s organizations. The mayor appointed to Bismil Municipality announced the establishment of the marriage school by saying; it is a “wonderful project”. Seminars entitled, “Marriage and Family Life” were organized by Gürpınar Municipality in Van province, Batman Municipality, Hakkari Municipality, and other municipalities in Kurdish cities.
“They want women who don’t struggle”
We talked with Sociologist Berçem Türk about the marriage schools and their effects on society. Berçem said, “The debates on marriage schools have continued for eight years. Some people discuss the necessity of these schools. However, the thousand-year-old patriarchal system wants to create women to obey it and to not struggle. These schools aim to teach women how to obey. If they want to organize seminars, they should organize seminars on gender equality to prevent femicide and violence against women.”