Difficult conditions experienced by Turkish women in shelter centers… Details

Turkish women in the affected areas, affected by an earthquake in southern Turkey that has caused thousands of deaths and massive destruction to infrastructure, have yet to find a solution to their lingering problems, such as domestic violence, access to clean water, hygiene kits and public amenities in shelters where they were forced to live after their homes collapsed.

A spokeswoman for a women’s association, which is the largest among the organizations defending Turkish rights, expressed fears of an outbreak of diseases among women living in the shelters, against the background of the lack of clean water, public health requirements and the possibility of washing their clothes, which is a problem faced by all the residents of the shelters, including men, but seems to be bigger among women.

“The lack of water and hygiene kits is a passing problem, compared to the domestic violence experienced by women in shelters,” said Malak Oonder, spokesperson for the “Stop the Killing of Women” platform. “For example, women who were separated from their husbands were forced to stay with them again after they moved to shelters, where they faced violence, including murder.”

Data compiled by Stop Killing Women shows that 90 women have been killed in Turkey in mysterious circumstances since February 6, when the devastating earthquake that has exacerbated women’s problems struck Turkey, whose president withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, which protects Turkish women from violence in the summer of 2021.

Reports in local media suggest women are shy about asking for basic products such as underwear, menstrual products and contraceptive items. Volunteer doctors have set up temporary clinics to help them access such products, but say the women are still in shock and suffer the consequences of the earthquake and are in need of psychological care.

The United Nations Population Fund, an aid organization that prioritizes assistance to women, estimated in February that there are more than 214,000 pregnant women out of 15 million affected people in Turkey, and it is expected that 24,000 pregnant women will give birth within a month.