As a woman, do NOT stay silent!

For a while now, there is a single question echoing on everyone's lips: “What is happening to us?”

Was there this much violence before? Violence has existed wherever there are humans, in every geography and every era. In the past, just as it is today, women and children were the ones most exposed to it.

The culture of violence that has been increasing in Turkey in recent years, especially incidents of violence against women, is deeply affecting the psychological and sociological structure of society. We are all in a state of bitter grief and indescribable helplessness…

The rise in crimes committed against women appears as a reflection of gender inequality.

Women do not feel safe at home, at work, or on the street.

We cannot feel safe!…

I can also say that this situation weakens the sense of trust in society and leads to the upbringing of individuals who grow up with insecurity in future generations.

Starting with my own daughter, we are trying to explain to our children situations that we were not yet aware of when we were their age…

The traumas experienced by women have become not just an individual issue, but a societal one.

Violence wears down society not only with its physical aspects but also with its psychological and economic ones.

While women try to defend their rights, they are simultaneously forced to cope with such pressures and threats.

I am reminded of a time when a male deputy told a female deputy who was speaking in parliament about women's rights: “As a woman, be silent!”

At this point, the normalization of violence and its acceptance in society feeds the culture of violence. The steps that need to be taken to prevent violence can only be possible by increasing awareness of gender equality in every segment of society and by taking a clear stance against the normalization of violence against women.

The revoked Istanbul Convention, numbered 6284, was the backbone of this struggle.

This convention provided an important framework that defined the state's obligations in the fight against violence against women. However, the withdrawal from the convention created a serious gap in the protection of women.

The Istanbul Convention aimed for not only a legal but also a social transformation. Reversing such steps undermines gender equality and sets back the gains made in the fight against violence.

There is a need for an active struggle at every layer of society to prevent violence against women. The role of the media, education, and civil society in this process is, of course, very important...

But the most important role lies with the mothers raising children…

By teaching their daughters and sons to be equal, to respect one another, and how to set and protect their boundaries;

By standing against the limitation of the concept of morality solely to the female body;

By explaining that people are only divided into good and bad, and that the side we choose is our own preference;

By supporting the struggles given to ensure women's voices are heard, their rights are protected, and an equal society is built, without saying “but” or “however”…

Violence is a wound that affects the whole of society. Healing this wound is only possible with conscious and determined steps.

We must all fight harder than we have fought until now.

And now, without asking or thinking about who, how, where, with whom, what happened, what they were wearing, or whether they laughed, for every woman, young girl, and child;

“AS A WOMAN, DO NOT STAY SILENT!”