EKİM YAĞMUR

Ankara- A report entitled, “Syrian Women Empowerment Project” prepared by the Women's Solidarity Foundation tells us the stories of women aged 18-60. This report should be remembered every time. The report tells the story of a 13-year-old girl, who was sexually abused by her father in front of her siblings; the trauma of a 35-year-old woman who was abused by the soldiers and the stories of women saying, “Before the war, we were not free but our life was ordinary and simple. After the war, everything changed. I was scared and gave birth prematurely.”

We talk to Project Coordinator Esma Nur Kaşram about the report.

“Women's Solidarity Foundation had a shelter for women who were victims of human trafficking. The foundation started working with refugee women in that way. Shelter service lasted for 10 years, and then it was closed due to financial difficulties. Now we are trying to build solidarity with refugee women through this project,” Kaşram says the foundation has provided social, legal, and psychological support to women living in Turkey since 1991. “The number of refugee women living in Turkey gradually increases, we are trying to support them,” says Kaşram.

Stating that they conducted a survey of 50 women and that they interviewed 12 women, Kaşram says, “We saw what refugee women face particularly in Ankara. We asked women to tell the violence they have faced in Turkey; the violence they faced while coming from Syria to Turkey. We asked questions mostly about the violence.”

Saying that the refugees mostly live in the Altındağ, Keçiören and Mamak districts of Ankara, Kaşram notes that most refugee women they interviewed do not know their legal rights.

“Especially women don’t know that the goods they buy during their marriage will be shared equally after a divorce. They don’t have such a right in Syria. Forcing women to have sexual intercourse is a crime. Domestic violence is the same for women living in Turkey and refugee women. Women are also subjected to sexual violence after being subjected to physical violence. The women told that they were subjected to insults and humiliation by officials working at hospitals and translators. They even stated that they sometimes were pushed by some and kicked out of the hospital. Women rarely go out but when they do go to the market or to the grocery store, they face discourses such as, “What are you doing here? Go to your country. You have a comfortable life here while my son is in Syria fighting for you.” They have many troubles in schools. They told us that they were humiliated particularly by the teachers.

Kaşram shares the story of a 40 years old woman as follows;

“They went to Jarablus camp. It was controlled by ISIS… They wore black clothes and their bodies shouldn’t be seen. Smoking was forbidden for women. But this woman smoked when her husband died and she was sentenced to 10 days in prison.”

Father raped his 13-year-old daughter

Kaşram shares the story of a 13-year-old girl as follows;

If a woman was raped, a report could be obtained stating that the woman didn’t lose her virginity by giving money to the doctor, the civil servant, and the police. One man raped his daughter. He received one of these reports and stayed in prison just for a month. His wife got divorced from him. She has six children; three girls, three boys. When the civil war began in Syria, she took her children and took shelter in a school. The school was turned into a hospital. She helped the doctors there. During that period, she studied for being a nurse. Then, that hospital was bombed… she fled from there and went to stay with her brother. But ISIS members took control of the place they lived in. Her brother told her, “You should get married or ISIS members will take you.” For that reason, she had to get married to her cousin.”

What happened to her ex-husband?

“He is now in Turkey and married to someone else. The man took two of six children. As a foundation, we try to take these children from him, because one of these children is a girl.”

“They have to accept to be the second wife”

“Syrian women have the potential to become the second wives for men living in Turkey. Men in Turkey think the refugee women are more obedient. For this reason, men in Turkey prefer refugee women as the second wife. The women have to accept to be the second wife.”