Sarya Deniz

NEW Center- While wars, conflicts, terrorism, and economic crises shake the entire world, women and girls continue to bear the heaviest burden. According to United Nations data, one in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence, often at the hands of those closest to them. This violence is not merely individual incidents but a systematic pattern of human rights violations, undermining social and economic stability and leaving deep scars on the collective consciousness.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, observed on November 25, symbolizes the struggle of women not only to survive but to achieve a just, equal, and free world. Women continue to play vital roles in conflict zones as peacebuilders, economic development drivers, and agents of democratic transformation. Studies show that women’s participation in peace processes contributes to more sustainable and lasting peace after conflicts end.

 

Distorted Reality Amid Justice Gaps

Despite the critical role women play worldwide, many still work in unsafe environments with low wages and face significant barriers to economic resources. Their representation in decision-making positions remains limited. Regarding legislation, data shows that out of 165 countries, only 104 have comprehensive laws addressing domestic violence. Politically, discriminatory laws, gender stereotypes, and poverty continue to hinder women’s fair and effective representation.

Experts emphasize that societies led by women are more just, resilient, and inclined toward peace. Therefore, November 25 is not just a day of remembrance but a call to defend women’s lives, rights, and equal participation.

 

Crisis in Turkey

The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report provides precise data on gender equality across countries and highlights a real crisis in Turkey. The country dropped eight ranks to 135th out of 148, placing it last in Europe regarding gender equality.

This decline reflects the limited progress in policies supporting and protecting women, highlighting the significant gap in women-related policies. Turkey’s drop below Saudi Arabia—a country long criticized for its treatment of women—underscores the severity of the crisis.

 

In the “Year of the Family,” Women Were Killed

In the so-called “Year of the Family,” violence against women surged. Policies emphasized the family at the expense of women amid weak protective measures, poor feminist policies, hostile retrogressive rhetoric, and controversial judicial rulings throughout 2025.

Women and girls’ lives were ignored, with killings occurring within homes described as “safe spaces.” Most perpetrators were spouses, fathers, sons, or close relatives, revealing a deep structural crisis in protecting women and ensuring their right to life.

 

At Least 296 Women Killed

No official government data was released on femicides this year. According to monthly statistics compiled by JINNEWS from published news reports, 296 women were killed in Turkey by men since November 25 of the previous year, with an additional 220 deaths classified as “suspicious.”

The platform “We Will Stop Women’s Killings” reported that during the first six months of 2025, 336 women were killed by men, nine of whom were under legal protection. Violence also affected children: 24 children were killed, and 19 others died under suspicious circumstances.

Data from 2024 shows that of 394 women killed that year, 20 were under legal protection, indicating a clear failure in implementing protection measures.

 

Children Targeted for Abuse and Rape

One key goal of Turkey’s “Year of the Family” was to accelerate marriage, increase marriage rates, and reduce divorce. Certain rhetoric and practices, however, indirectly promoted child marriage.

During the first ten months of 2025, 218 children faced sexual abuse in various forms by men. Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data shows 6,505 girls aged 15–17 gave birth, and 130 girls under 15 gave birth, highlighting that these children were rape victims.

Shocking cases were reported: in Zonguldak, a 14-year-old girl was raped and gave birth; a 16-year-old delivered after hospital visits for abdominal pain; another gave birth in a bathroom at Cihan Hospital; and a 14-year-old delivered at Karaman Training and Research Hospital.

 

Women Condemned to Poverty

Despite some adjustments in 2025, no real steps were taken to support women. Policies continued to confine women to the home. TÜİK data shows female labor force participation in 2025 was only 36.8%, with women’s work still undervalued and marginalized.

Amid economic crises and unfair conditions, women are disproportionately affected by poverty, forced to work in unsafe, unregistered environments while their domestic labor is ignored. Under the AKP-led government, women are expected to remain obedient and subservient.

During the first ten months of 2025, 1,737 workers died in workplace accidents, including 114 women, highlighting precarious work conditions and lack of protection for women’s labor rights.

 

State Violence

2025 also witnessed clear state violence against women. Opposition women and journalists were detained, subjected to strip searches, and threatened with sexual assault. Police interventions reflected deliberate hostility, and even inside prisons, women lacked basic necessities such as clean underwear, sanitary pads, and soap.

Reports indicate that prison transfers and long waits in transport vehicles resembled torture. Some prisons imposed strip searches, and cameras were installed in wards, violating privacy rights. According to the Human Rights Association, 1,412 prisoners in Turkey are ill, including 161 women, denied proper healthcare.

 

Special War Policies

Expansive wars in the Middle East and beyond disproportionately affect women, increasing poverty, exploitation, violence, and forced displacement. Despite these challenges, women continue to fight for equality and freedom, playing pivotal roles in resolving the Kurdish issue and achieving community peace.

Women targeted by special war policies face diverse forms of violence. In North Kurdistan and Kurdish-majority areas, the state targets young women through coercion, false marriage promises, abduction, threats, forced recruitment, and digital media pressure. Women are also pushed toward drugs or forced into sexual relationships for money.

Despite justice gaps, women’s activism reopened neglected cases, such as those of Kelestina Doku and Rojin Kapayish, turning these cases into symbols of feminist resistance.

 

Systematic Promotion of Drugs and Prostitution

According to the 2024 DBP Women’s Council report, based on interviews with 3,200 women, drug use is widespread in North Kurdistan, with initiation as young as seven. Prostitution is also prevalent, targeting Kurdish women.

Security forces create manipulative “love” relationships to distance women from their identity and struggle, later using recordings for blackmail. In response, women organize meetings, home events, and activities through municipalities and the Free Women’s Movement (TJA).

Over a year, women’s initiatives reached 125,000 women, provided employment workshops, and created “women-friendly cities” through sustained efforts.

 

Women as the Voice of Peace

Women led the call for “Peace and Democratic Society”, launched by Abdullah Öcalan, reflecting their firsthand experiences of conflict-induced violence. PKK fighters destroyed weapons in ceremonies symbolizing renewal, with women at the forefront. They demanded active participation in peacebuilding despite state opposition.

The initiative “I Need Peace”, launched after the Istanbul workshop “Women Speak on Peace” (Feb 22–23, 2025), emphasizes women’s agency in peace processes, building a struggle for equality, freedom, and control over their future. Women participated in parliamentary forums, promoting their vision of peace and democracy.

 

Mothers of Peace at the Forefront

Women organized peace platforms, demanded Öcalan’s freedom, and held marches, seminars, and public meetings. The Mothers of Peace led this movement, pledging to foster a culture of peace and continue their struggle for justice.

The DEM Women’s Committee increased collaboration with other political parties’ women’s structures, and the TJA organized marches from seven points, demanding peace. Kurdish women remain vocal in advocating for active participation in achieving peace.

 

Women Weave Life

Even amid oppression, war, poverty, and violence, women continue to sustain resilience and rebuild life. Their struggle inspires hope for justice, freedom, and peace.

From East to West, suppressed female voices resonate in unison, defying imposed silence. Guided by “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (Women, Life, Freedom), women transform pain into action, despair into horizon, and absence into an invincible presence