Tüpraş and Batman University organized “16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence” conference with the Participation UN Women

Batman University held a conference as part of 16 Days of activism against gender-based violence, which starts on November 25 and ends on December 10, Human Rights Day. The conference was held in cooperation with Tüpraş, the leading industrial corporation of Turkey and with UN Women.

Prof. Dr. İdris Demir, the Rector of Batman University, Assistant Professor Mehtap Nasıroğlu Aydın, the Director of Women and Family Studies Practice and Research Center, Zeliha Ünaldı, Programmes Manager at UN Women Türkiye, Sinem Aydın, HeForShe Project Coordinator at UN Women Türkiye, Pelin Kihtir, Sustainability and Stakeholder Relationships Manager at Koç Holding, and Çiler Teber, Corporate Communications Manager at Tüpraş took stage as speakers in the event, which was organized on December 5 in the Conference Hall of Central Campus of Batman University.

In his speech that started by memorializing women heroes of Turkish history starting from the Turkish War of Independence, namely Nene Hatun, Halime Çavuş, Fatma Refet Angın, and Sabiha Gökçen, Prof. Dr. İdris Demir, the Rector of Batman University, said, “Today our only agenda must be to discuss how we are going to raise the torch that they had fired to higher levels under the shadow of Anatolia, the almighty plane that such noble and self-sacrificing women had knit knot by knot and fed and raised.” Demir added, “We have never accepted and we will by no means accept violence against women. The women of the Anatolian land, our great plane tree, will always stand at the forefront with their nobility, elegance, virtue and knowledge. They will neither stay behind nor stay under the shadow of anyone else. Since we know that, any society that leaves their women behind is doomed to fall behind. We will strive to erase any kind of violence from this land and we will never compromise.

We want to show that a society and a world far from violence is possible

Assistant Professor Mehtap Nasıroğlu Aydın, Director of Women and Family Studies Practice and Research Center, stated in her opening speech that their main goal as the center is to increase social sensitivity and awareness, and they want to show that a society and a world far from violence can be possible. She added that, for this purpose, they are working together with national and international stakeholders.

Almost 4 out of 10 women subjected to physical violence in Turkey

UN Women Turkey, which drew attention to the violence of close partners against women with #SheSaidNo campaign this year, called the international society for action in order to prevent violence against women and girls for 16 days, between November 25 and December 10, the Human Rights Day. The aim is to raise awareness for the indicators and results of close partner violence with 16 Days of Activism campaign. Zeliha Ünaldı, Programmes Manager at UN Women Türkiye, said: “45.000 women and girls were murdered by their close partners or other family members in 2021 throughout the world. Close partners’ violence is one of the most common types of violence that women face all around the world. As UN Women Turkey, we aim to reach as many women, men, girls and boys as possible and carry on the spirit of ‘We are many, but united as one’ in order to prevent violence against women and to end discrimination. We need such unity and solidarity more than ever in these periods that we are shaken with crises.”

Women are 27 times more likely to be harassed online

Highlighting that the possibility of being exposed to online violence is 27 times more for women than men all around the world, Sinem Aydın, HeForShe Project Coordinator at UN Women Türkiye, said: “The violence against women occurs at home, on streets, at the workplace and, just as all other places, right here on digital platforms. When such events occur in digital environment, this does not reduce the severity of violence. Just like any other violence against women, the cyber violence is a violation of human rights and a crime.”

We can think of a future refined from violence as women and girls get stronger in technology and innovation and achieve economic freedom.

Pelin Kihtir, Sustainability and Stakeholder Relationships Manager at Koç Holding, said: “While digitalization is acting like a driving force in transformation of industries, it is possible to have an equal and fair transition period if women be a part of the solution and lead. As Koç Group, we are working to direct