PINAR URAL

Amed- Amed (Diyarbakır) is a city that has lost its women’s organizations shot down by emergency decrees issued by the state of emergency imposed in Turkey for over two years. While the spaces where women could breathe were destroyed, their security was under danger; their organizations were also taken from them. The first noticeable thing in Amed is that the closed women's centers have been turned into Family Support Centers. In such an environment, Rosa Women's Association struggles with all the impossibilities, trying to show women that another world is possible. Women living not just in Amed but also in neighboring provinces such as Mardin, Van, Şırnak, Batman and Siirt apply to the organization.

 “We couldn't wait even one more day”

The President of Rosa Women's Association, Adalet Kaya states that they take power from international women’s struggle and she says that they founded the association on December 29, 2018, together with women's rights advocates from different professional groups. “We couldn’t wait even one more day,” Kaya says the applications to the association increase day by day.

“We begin our journey to change the mentality”

While the association has provided psychological and legal support to women, it is also one of the organizations establishing “the Network for Combating Violence.” Adalet Kaya states that women have been tried to be locked in the houses after all NGOs and spaces for women were closed after the removal of elected mayors. Stating that the idea of founding an association emerged with the increasing in social demand, Adalet Kaya explains the process with the following words:

“Violence from both men and the state affects women in all ways. Unfortunately, women are subjected to violence in all areas of life; at work, at home, on the street. Most of the men are not even aware that they actually inflict violence or they have a stand and language interiorizing violence. Women are also unaware that they are subjected to violence; because they are so introverted that they cannot know the definition of violence or its limitlessness or this disproportionality. In this sense, we are an association established for the purpose of awareness and mentality transformation in the society. Our aim is to reach women in neighborhoods and homes, to raise awareness against unlimited violence, produced in different ways and directed against women, and to change the male mentality. However, we started to receive applications for violence after we founded our association because many women’s organizations had been shot down by emergency decrees. There were no women’s organizations in Diyarbakır for women to apply. We have received applications since the foundation of our association.

Violence map of the city shaped

Stating that they have limited opportunities, Kaya points out that they sometimes cannot find a solution. Expressing that they can respond faster to the applications submitted after forming the Network for Combating Violence, Kaya emphasizes that this study has revealed the city's violence map.

“This study reveals the violence map of the city; because we have formed a common database. We announced our first report in July. Although the results were annoying, society and organizations were in need of this study. We need to know this to heal our wounds. We have positive feedbacks from all segments of society.  We see that we develop trust and that women come to us with great faith and trust. And this connects us stronger. We care about this because women's freedom and women's struggle are only possible through solidarity and organizing.  So far, we have organized two women’s marches to stop femicide.”

Sociologist Ruken Ergüneş Özdemir / Founder of Rosa Women's Association

“Our association has been considered as a ray of hope. While everyone was dealing with their own problem, there was something preventing women from coming together. Therefore, there was a problem in coming together with solidarity, healing each other's wounds, and analyzing the big picture. It was perhaps the biggest reason of our founding the association; creating a solidarity space. We started to receive many applications. Volunteers also supported us to overcome this process. “