Violence against Women is a Problem which requires an International Elimination

Mualla Köseoğlu, Academician of European University of Lefke (EUL) Department of Social Services made some statements on the occasion of “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women”.

Pointing out that despite the on-going struggle towards violence against women, which is a universal problem rather than a social problem, for many years, it is still not eliminated. Köseoğlu said that, “In order to draw attention to violence against women and to raise awareness on this issue in almost every country, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25th in 1999 as the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women”.

Köseoğlu: Violence against women does not only have physical, emotional and sexual aspects

Emphasizing that many different events are organized in every November 25^th in order to draw attention to violence against women and to emphasize the necessity of putting up a fight against this concrete problem, Köseoğlu said that The violence against women was explained in the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 as “Eliminating physical, sexual and psychological violence against women occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere”. Köseoğlu said that, “Violence against women does not only have physical, emotional and sexual aspects as it is understood from the definition of the UN”, and added that economic violence, cultural violence, cyber violence and symbolic violence are also seen.

Köseoğlu said that economic violence includes acts such as, not allowing women to work, not giving enough money to women who don’t work or taking their money forcibly, and forcing women to work, she further stated that, cultural violence includes acts such as female genital mutilation in Middle East countries, tying the legs of little girls and forcing them to wear neck links in China, murder, marriage with relatives, child marriage, demanding pride price in many different parts of the world. Pointing out that cyber violence includes acts such as, forcing an individual to contact against their inclination, receiving unwanted e-mails or messages, receiving inappropriate content messages, pictures, using photos as an unauthorized or blackmailing element and added that symbolic violence includes acts such as enforcing rules to woman’s behavior, making women jealous, making them give up their ideas, using woman as a sexual object representation in the media and the way presenting acts of violence against women in the media.

Köseoğlu: Psychosocial, legal and economic empowerment of women facilitates their reaction against violence

Köseoğlu said that, we should immediately face the fact that violence against women in the T.R.N.C has increased in the recent years and added that in this direction we should give place to preventive practices. Köseoğlu also said that, “One of the examples of the practices that can be carried out in the context of combating violence against women is the strengthening of women. The psychosocial, legal and economic empowerment of the woman facilitates their reaction against such a situation of violence”. Pointing out that encouraging consultancy services for couples and facilitating the accessibility of individuals to these services will enable the form of communication between men and women to become positive before turning into violence and added that making criminal sanctions on violence against women more deterrent is an important aspect of in eliminating this problem.

Köseoğlu also said that, “As a result, violence against women is a problem which requires an international elimination as it can be understood from the name of this special day” and added that it is important to focus on what kind of preventive practices can be carried out and implemented in accordance with the structure of society.