DOCSLIB.ORG

Honor Killings in Turkey the Dynamics of Honor Killings in Turkey

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Honor Killings in Turkey the Dynamics of Honor Killings in Turkey THE DYNAMICS OF HONOR KILLINGS IN TURKEY THE DYNAMICS OF HONOR KILLINGS IN TURKEY Research Team Filiz Kardam Coordinator İlknur Yüksel Assistant Project Coordinator Mesut Deren Field Coordinator Zeynep Alpar Field Researcher and Data Analyst Ergül Ergün Field Researcher and Data Analyst Altan Sungur Field Researcher and Data Analyst Ebru Hanbay Field Researcher and Transcriber Tülay Ağca Field Researcher and Transcriber İpek Oskay Field Researcher and Transcriber Hatice Karakaş Field Researcher and Transcriber Birce Albayrak Workshop Organizer THE DYNAMICS OF HONOR KILLINGS IN TURKEY Acknowledgements This research could not have been undertaken without the generous help of countless individuals in the field and the trust and openness of our res- pondents. In the interest of protecting anonymity their names will not be mentioned. In addition, special thanks go to Alanur Çavlin Bozbeyoğlu, Pelin Çağatay, Senem Er, Ayşe Nevin Yıldız, Ebru Şener and Hanife Alie- fendioğlu for giving their support to the project. This report was edited by Genevra Murray. THE DYNAMICS OF HONOR KILLINGS IN TURKEY Contents Foreword 6 Introduction 10 Methodology of data collection 12 Scope and target groups 12 Data collection, transcription and evaluation 13 Perceptions of honor 16 Honor with a focus on women and women’s sexuality 16 How should honorable men and women behave? 19 Other perceptions of honor 21 From honor based on the control of women and women’s sexuality to honor crimes 24 Cases of ‘dishonorable conduct’: causes and consequences 28 A married woman having an extra-marital relationship 29 A married woman running away with a man 31 A married woman getting separated or divorced 32 A divorced woman having a relationship with another man 32 A young unmarried girl having a relationship 33 A young unmarried girl running away with a man 35 A woman (married or unmarried) being kidnapped and/or raped 38 Experiences of ‘dishonorable conduct’ and `honor killings: factors involved, 42 responses and interpretations of causes THE DYNAMICS OF HONOR KILLINGS IN TURKEY What can be done to stop honor killings? 50 General overview of proposals 50 Proposals 51 Proposals by individuals 51 Proposals by professionals and organizations 52 Thinking about an action program: possibilities and constraints 54 Important considerations 54 Suggestions for action 55 Summary and Evaluation 60 Prevalent perceptions of honor and communal surveillance 60 How are honor killings perceived? 62 The emphasis on inevitability in honor killings 62 The reasons behind honor killings 63 Not all ‘dishonorable conduct’ results in murder 64 What can be done to stop honor related murders? 65 Appendices: Appendix I: Number of interviews conducted 68 Appendix II: Information about the quarters in which research was 76 conducted in the four cities Appendix III: List of professionals interviewed 78 Appendix IV: Information about NGOs 80 Bibliography 84 6 THE DYNAMICS OF HONOR KILLINGS IN TURKEY Foreword In September 2000, 191 World leaders gathered at However, one of the most significant challenges the United Nations in New York, at the dawn of a that continues tu undermine women’s freedom and new millennium, to reffirm their commitment to equality in Turkey is the persistence of honor kil- the UN and its core values and principles. Through lings. Through this report on “Dynamics of honor this Milennium Declaration, the world leaders re- killins in Turkey: Prospects for Action”, UNDP cognized their collective responsibility to uphold and UNFPA are seeking to further contribute to the universal principles of human dignity, equality, the discussion and debate in turkey about honor and freedoom the fear of violence, oppression, and killngs through perspectives from a cross-section of injustice. “equality” is defined as the recognition society: women and men of varying ages, educatio- that the equal rights and opportunities of women nel levels, and social backgrounds; public officials; and men must be assured. religious leaders, non-govermental organizations; and the media. Importantly, the report provides These same principles are at the heart of Turkey’s examles where public officials are committed to ambitios reform and development agenda, which actively protecting the rights and fundamental is also in line with its process of accession to the freedoms of citizen’s and to dispelling the nations Europen Union and the EU political criteria that killing based on the concept of honor is accep- which emphasizes respect for, and protection of, table in a democratic society. Equally important, fundamental freedoms. In spite of this important however, the report also highlights examples where progress, however, Turkey is still facing serious public officials support beliefs and promete an en- challenges to gender equality related to women’s vironment in which honor killings, and thus the participation in social, economic and political life. extreme violation of women’s rights, is deemend According to the 2005 Gender Empoworment permissable. Measure, Turkey ranks 76 out of the 80 countries that are ranked within the GEM for gender equ- Such examples illustrate the vital Turkey’s democ- ality and participation. The United Nations De- ratic institutions can and should play in promoting velopments Programme (UNDP) is working with the protection of women’s rights through rule of the goverment, civil society, and the UN family in law and through upholding the universal princip- Turkey to increase women’s political participation les of freedom and equality. It is also abundantly and to increase their opportunities and choices in clear that dispelling the nation of honor killings as the social and economic sphere. acceptable is shared responsibility among all seg- THE DYNAMICS OF HONOR KILLINGS IN TURKEY 7 ments of Turkish society: public officials, including educators, police, lawyers and judges, legislators, the media religious leaders, youth organizations, communities and families themselves. For this sea- son, the report provides specific recommendations for training state employees, NGOs, community leaders, schools, and youth on gender equality, and creating mechanismis through which issues of “ho- nor” can be resolved through discussion and medi- ation rether than violance. Without recognizing and adressing the issue of honor killings, Turkey will continue to face chal- lenges in achieving its own ambitious reform and development agenda. UNDP and UNFPA urge serious consideration to the findings and dynamics of the report, and to pursue its recommendations as a vital contribution to promoting Turkey’s re- form agenda by erdaicating the acceptance and pratice of honor killings. Jakob Simonsen UNDP Resident Representative 8 THE DYNAMICS OF HONOR KILLINGS IN TURKEY Foreword I am pleased to introduce the Dynamics of Honor when individuals with institutional backing decide Killings in Turkey: Prospects for Action report. to take action, this impact increases dramatically. This report is a critical first step towards eradica- As part of the UN system, UNFPA is committed ting honor killings in Turkey. There has been little to the protection and promotion of human rights qualitative research to date and only one quantita- for all, including women and girls. We believe that tive study published. This study, therefore, consti- the ongoing murder of women in the name of ho- tutes a key contribution to our understanding of nor is the most shameful human rights violation the experience and dynamics of honor crimes in in Turkey. The underlying notion that familial and Turkey, and the larger honor system which rationa- particularly male honor is determined through the lizes and indeed requires these crimes. This report control of women leads to the exclusion of women is particularly timely; the passage of the new Penal and girls from the public sphere, education, the Code has increased penalties for honor crimes and formal economy and political decision making. commitment to their eradication and the results Most pressingly, as documented herein, this honor of this study can feed directly into the work of system results in the needless murder of women Parliament’s Investigatory Commission on Honor and girls across the country. Although many par- Killings and Violence Against Women and Child- ticipants in the study thought of honor killings as ren. It is only with understanding of the complex something distant over which they have no cont- dynamics underpinning honor crimes presented in rol, UNFPA believes that it is the responsibility of this report that this legislation can be successfully every citizen, along with government officials, inc- implemented. luding those at the highest level, to actively com- bat the murder of women and girls in the name Until every Turkish citizen, along with government of honor. officials, takes responsibility for the protection of the lives of all people, including women and girls, One of the most important first steps in eradica- the country’s greatest ‘shame’ will be its collective ting murder in the name of honor is to instil hope and individual failure to protect women and girls that the situation can be changed. As documented from brutal and needless murder in the name of in this report, when even a single individual deci- honor. des to take action against honor killings she can Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen have an enormous impact on the problem. And UNFPA Representative 9 Foreword The Honor Killings Project is a study which was ies, with the support of non-governmental organi- conducted by the Population Association with the zations. Support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Development We would like to extend our thanks to the United Program (UNDP). Nations Population Fund for designating the Pop- ulation Association to work with them in such a The Population Association was established in 2004 project that has great importance for Turkey and to carry out activities in the field of demography, to to Ms. Meltem Ağduk, who provided all sorts of participate in studies carried out by different disci- assistance at different stages of the project.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Debates on Inter-Ethnic Marriages: Assimilation Or Integration? the Turkish Perspective
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Revistes Catalanes amb Accés Obert Papers 2012, 97/1 151-166 Debates on inter-ethnic marriages: assimilation or integration? The Turkish perspective Mehmet Nuri Gültekin University of Gaziantep. Department of Sociology [email protected] Received: 18-11-2010 Accepted: 09-09-2011 Abstract This paper opens a new debate on ethnic intermarriage between Kurdish and Turkish peo- ple in Turkey. It addresses how the institution of marriage has become a political subject in the wake of the foundation of the republic and classifies these marriages according to their social and cultural environment. In order to understand the phenomenon, it opens a sociological investigation into the assimilation, integration and hybridisation processes involved in intermarriage between Kurdish and Turkish people. This paper looks at spoken language as an instrument of cultural continuity and a vector for the transfer of cultural institutions to future generations within a traditional-patriarchal society. It establishes a connection between the subjects of assimilation, integration and hybridisation with those of intermarriage and language. Key words: intermarriage; hybridisation; language; patriarchy; women; cultural change. Resumen. Debates sobre matrimonios interétnicos: ¿asimilación o integración? La perspectiva turca Este artículo abre un nuevo debate sobre los matrimonios interétnicos entre kurdos y turcos en Turquía. Trata sobre la transformación de la institución del matrimonio en un tema político tras la fundación de la república, y clasifica estos matrimonios según su entorno sociocultural. Para poder entender este fenómeno se inicia una investigación sociológica sobre los procesos de asimilación, integración e hibridación implicados en el matrimonio entre kurdos y turcos.
    [Show full text]
  • The Family in Turkey: the Battleground of the Modern and the Traditional Dilek Cindoglu Murat Çemrek Sule Toktas Gizem Zencirci
    Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen Chapter 10 The Family in Turkey: The Battleground of the Modern and the Traditional Dilek Cindoglu Murat Çemrek Sule Toktas Gizem Zencirci INTRODUCTION Turkey is a secular, Muslim society with rapid social change (Aytaç, 1998; World Factbook, 2006) and the uncommon combination of a European modernism and traditional agrarian patterns like those found in developing nations (Aykan & Wolf, 2000). Urbanization, industri- alization, employment in the service sector, and the demographic shifts leading to a larger number of children and young people (even as the population ages) all have brought about changes in family struc- ture and life in the last decades (Aytaç, 1998; Vergin, 1985). Rural-to- urban migration has produced the mixture of Islamic traditionalism with urban-based Western values and lifestyles (Erman, 1997). Gov- ernmental reforms, resistance by some groups, and the process of so- cial change results in a society characterized by both modernism and traditionalism (Aykan & Wolf, 2000; Aytaç, 1998) with Islamic tradi- tions evident in some regions (e.g., eastern and southeastern areas, in smaller communities, and among the less educated). Indicators of traditionalism are seen in arranged marriages, paying of bride price, 235 Hennon.ps C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\CRCpress\HW15235\Hennon.vp Tuesday, May 13, 2008 4:18:04 PM Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen 236 FAMILIES IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT religious weddings, attendance at religious schools, and women’s head coverings (Aytaç, 1998). Turkey has approximately seventy million people located between Asia and Europe. The population is 80 percent Turkish and 20 per- cent Kurdish speaking; most people are Muslim (99.8 percent, mostly Sunni) (World Factbook, 2006).
    [Show full text]
  • Conceptualisation of Honour Codes Amongst Turkish-Kurdish Mothers and Daughters Living in London Ferya Tas-Cifci
    Journal of International Women's Studies Volume 20 | Issue 7 Article 14 Aug-2019 Conceptualisation of Honour Codes Amongst Turkish-Kurdish Mothers and Daughters Living in London Ferya Tas-Cifci Follow this and additional works at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws Part of the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Tas-Cifci, Ferya (2019). Conceptualisation of Honour Codes Amongst Turkish-Kurdish Mothers and Daughters Living in London. Journal of International Women's Studies, 20(7), 219-236. Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol20/iss7/14 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ©2019 Journal of International Women’s Studies. Conceptualisation of Honour Codes Amongst Turkish-Kurdish Mothers and Daughters Living in London1 By Ferya Tas-Cifci2 Abstract The present study analyses how immigrant women transfer and preserve their traditional honour codes, and whether women from different generations (mothers and their daughters) adhere to the same codes. Focusing particularly on the Turkish-Kurdish community living in London3, the study asks, ‘How traditional honour codes are conceptualised and transferred by the women of the Turkish-Kurdish community and whether mothers and daughters share the same opinion about them.’ In a traditional society it is considered to be mothers’ duty to ensure that their culture and traditions, and particularly honour codes, are transferred and taught to their children, especially to their daughters.
    [Show full text]
  • The Other Side of Gender Inequality: Men and Masculinities in Afghanistan
    The Other Side of Gender Inequality: Men and Masculinities in Afghanistan Chona R. Echavez SayedMahdi Mosawi Leah Wilfreda RE Pilongo Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit and Swedish Committee for Afghanistan Issues Paper The Other Side of Gender Inequality: Men and Masculinities in Afghanistan Chona R. Echavez SayedMahdi Mosawi Leah Wilfreda RE Pilongo January 2016 ISBN 978-9936-8044-0-1 (ebook) ISBN 978-9936-8044-1-8 (paper) Publication Code: 1601E Editing: Toby Miller Cover photo: The picture on the left side of front cover is the game of buzkashi (goat dragging) in Takhar Province, February, 2015. On the right are faces of Afghan men from the four study provinces: Kabul, Nangarhar, Takhar, and Bamyan. These pictures were taken from December 2014 to May 2015, when the team went on fieldwork. (Photos by Mohammad Edris Lutfi, Research Assistant at AREU). Cover design: Michael Lou Montejo The following citation for this publication is suggested: Echavez, Chona R., SayedMahdi Mosawi, Leah Wilfreda RE Pilongo. The Other Side of Gender Inequality: Men and Masculinities in Afghanistan. Kabul: Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, 2016. This study was made possible by a grant from the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) and additional funding from Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) coming from the Embassy of Finland. This publication may be quoted, cited or reproduced only for non-commercial purposes and provided that the authors and source be acknowledged. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of AREU or SCA. © 2016 Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • Diyarbakır Batman Siirt Development Project 2010
    REPUBLIC OF TURKEY MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS Diyarbakır Batman Siirt Development Project IFAD Loan No 718 –TR 2010 ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT MARCH 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 ....................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION .......................................................................................... 6 1.1.1. Project Area .......................................................................................................... 6 1.1.2.Project Target Group ............................................................................................. 7 1.1.3.Objectives of the Project ....................................................................................... 7 1.1.4. Components of the Project ................................................................................... 7 1.1.4.1. Component A – Village Development Program ................................................. 7 1.1.4.2. Component B – Rural Economic Growth ........................................................... 8 1.1.4.3. Component C – Capacity Building for Employment .......................................... 8 SECTION 2 ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.1. Activities Realized in 2010 by Components ............................................................. 9 2.1.1. Component A – Village Improvement Program ..................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Striving for Gender Equality 11
    Striving for Gender Equality 11. December 2018 by Charlotte Joppien All I wish for New Year… …less violence against women in Turkey This year on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, women took to the streets again. In Istanbul, several hundred protested but were hindered by the police. No final numbers on gender-based violence were published yet, but until mid-November around 330 cases were reported. 2017 saw a sharp rise in the increase of deadly violence against women with 25%, adding up to 409 cases. Whereas in 33% of the cases the perpetrators were not known (or could not be identified by the police), in most cases the perpetrator came from the immediate surrounding of the women: 39% were murdered by husbands, boyfriends or ex-partners; another 24% by fathers, sons, brothers or other male relatives (Details on many cases can be found in the online archive at http://kadincinayetleri.org/). Possible reasons being discussed among both experts and in the media are a higher number of reported cases due to awareness campaigns by the government, but also gender-based violence as a symptom of a nation in distress caused by a state of emergency lasting for nearly two years, or a political climate discriminating against women. Although several times president Erdoğan announced concentrated efforts to tackle the problem, it is clearly not solved; according to surveys, nearly 50% of all Turkish women have experienced domestic violence, often on a regular basis. It needs to be added that violence against women, which is predominantly violence experienced at home, is one of the underreported criminal acts due to the fear of being stigmatised, to fear in general, to economic dependency, or due to prioritising the interest of children or of an intact family.
    [Show full text]
  • Analyzing the Aspects of International Migration in Turkey by Using 2000
    MiReKoc MIGRATION RESEARCH PROGRAM AT THE KOÇ UNIVERSITY ______________________________________________________________ MiReKoc Research Projects 2005-2006 Analyzing the Aspects of International Migration in Turkey by Using 2000 Census Results Yadigar Coşkun Address: Kırkkonoaklar Mah. 202. Sokak Utku Apt. 3/1 06610 Çankaya Ankara / Turkey Email: [email protected] Tel: +90. 312.305 1115 / 146 Fax: +90. 312. 311 8141 Koç University, Rumelifeneri Yolu 34450 Sarıyer Istanbul Turkey Tel: +90 212 338 1635 Fax: +90 212 338 1642 Webpage: www.mirekoc.com E.mail: [email protected] Table of Contents Abstract....................................................................................................................................................3 List of Figures and Tables .......................................................................................................................4 Selected Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................5 1. Introduction..........................................................................................................................................1 2. Literature Review and Possible Data Sources on International Migration..........................................6 2.1 Data Sources on International Migration Data in Turkey..............................................................6 2.2 Studies on International Migration in Turkey..............................................................................11
    [Show full text]
  • The Mio-Eugeosynclinal Thrust Interface and Related Petroleum Implications in the Sason-Baykan Area, Southeast Turkey
    Scholars' Mine Doctoral Dissertations Student Theses and Dissertations 1972 The mio-eugeosynclinal thrust interface and related petroleum implications in the Sason-Baykan Area, Southeast Turkey Ismail Özkaya Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations Part of the Geology Commons Department: Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Recommended Citation Özkaya, Ismail, "The mio-eugeosynclinal thrust interface and related petroleum implications in the Sason- Baykan Area, Southeast Turkey" (1972). Doctoral Dissertations. 198. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/198 This thesis is brought to you by Scholars' Mine, a service of the Missouri S&T Library and Learning Resources. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE MIO- EUGEOSYNCLINAL THRUST INTERFACE AND RELATED PETROLEUM IMPLICATIONS IN THE SASON-BAYKAN AREA, SOUTHEAST TURKEY by ISMAIL OZKAYA, 194 A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ROLLA In Partial Fulfi I lment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in GEOLOGY 1972 p ·' ~&IA-~f ~ i i ABSTRACT A detailed investigation of the stratigraphy, structure and petroleum geology of the Sason-Baykan region in 600 square km area of the thrust belt of southeast Turkey was completed at a scale 1: 25 000. Geosynclinal sediments within the area were redated. Results of field study indicate a massive plate of metamorphic rocks and crystal I ine limestones was thrust southward over geosynclinal sediments. These in turn were thrust over the southern marginal basin deposits.
    [Show full text]
  • Men, Masculinities, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Afghanistan
    Navigating norms and insecurity: Men, masculinities, conflict and peacebuilding in Afghanistan WORKING PAPER | NOVEMBER 2018 Henri Myrttinen European Union initiative CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 2 GENDER, CONFLICT AND PEACEBUILDING .............................................................................................. 3 Why masculinities? ............................................................................................................................. 4 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Project background ............................................................................................................................. 5 Women, peace and security in Afghanistan ....................................................................................... 6 Background to the target provinces ................................................................................................... 7 RESEARCH FINDINGS ............................................................................................................................. 11 Gender norms ..................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Think, Think... Freedom of Expression Weekly Bulletin (Issue 20/20, 15 May 2020)
    Think, think... Freedom of Expression Weekly Bulletin (Issue 20/20, 15 May 2020) What happened last week? ● Easing of measures in Turkey against the COVID-19 outbreak created worry around the scientific community. Shopping malls were reopened. Erdoğan announced the date of university entrance examinations, whereas the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) was left the initiative to decide whether soccer leagues will start or not. Local sources declare that there is significant increase in COVID-19 cases in many provinces, still. ● President Erdoğan repeated his claim that the fight against the outbreak is ongoing with success; this time indicating that the new post-pandemic world order must quickly be prepared for. Erdoğan further claimed that the foreign countries are preparing traps for the Turkish economy. Furthermore, the opposition was under Erdoğan’s target, as usual. “We will not let any malicious powers run riot - from FETO to PKK, from the Armenian and Greek lobbies to gulf-based conflict targets,” Erdoğan said, further ordering all assets of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) at the Turkish İş Bank to quickly be transferred to the Treasury. ● “Open-ended” threats shared by pro-government names through social media and press are ongoing. After Sevda Noyan’s claim that her family has “the means to kill 50 people at once, after the lists they’ve prepared” on the broadcast she attended on Ülke TV; a similar claim was shared on social media by Fatih Tezcan. An investigation was opened against Tezcan, but no legal action was taken against Noyan despite criminal complaints. ● There are claims that 44 convicts at Silivri Prison are infected with the Coronavirus.
    [Show full text]
  • Honour Killings and Some Examples from South-Eastern Turkey
    In the Name of Fathers: Honour Killings and Some Examples from 1 South-eastern Turkey Aysan Sev'er, University of Toronto, teaches sociology of gender Introduction and family and writes extensively on sexual harassment, intimate This paper focuses on honour killings (HK) and some partner abuse of women, link between separation and violence, examples from south-eastern Turkey. Examples are selected from cross-cultural forms of wife abuse and extreme violence against court transcripts and local and national media coverage. These women such as "honour killings" and "dowry murders." Her events are rare in Turkey (estimates are 25-75/year), and latest book on women who have left their abusive partners, confined to a small region, but honour crimes kill many Fleeing the House of Horrors, has received the Canadian thousands of women across the world each year. To understand Women's Studies Association 2004 Annual Book Award. She is the cultures where such killings take place, we will have to also the founder and the general editor of Women's Health & analyze dowry and bride-price systems. As the examples from Urban Life journal. south-eastern Turkey demonstrate, the goal of these practices is to control the bodies and sexuality of women. Loopholes in the Abstract criminal justice system often make a mockery of the prosecution Starting from patriarchal power and authority, this article of these heinous crimes. Even in a modernizing, secular state explores the control of girls/women under classic patriarchies, like Turkey, the workings of the criminal justice system are particularly virginity, forced virginity tests and honour killings infused with patriarchal biases.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Breaking the Silence': the Religious Muslim Women's Movement in Turkey
    Journal of International Women's Studies Volume 11 Article 8 Issue 1 Gender and Islam in Asia Nov-2009 ‘Breaking the Silence’: The Religious Muslim Women’s Movement in Turkey Hilal Ozcetin Follow this and additional works at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws Part of the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Ozcetin, Hilal (2009). ‘Breaking the Silence’: The Religious Muslim Women’s Movement in Turkey. Journal of International Women's Studies, 11(1), 106-119. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol11/iss1/8 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ©2009 Journal of International Women’s Studies. ‘Breaking the Silence’: The Religious Muslim Women’s Movement in Turkey. Hilal Ozcetin 1 Abstract This article explores the emergence of the religious Muslim women’s movement in the 1990s in Turkey, and its relation with the broader women’s movement, including the exclusion of religious Muslim women from the women’s movement. My analysis is based on interviews I conducted in April and May 2006 with religious Muslim women who work in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and participate in joint projects with other women’s NGOs in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey. I argue that because of a modernist perspective which views both the headscarf and religious Muslim women as ‘backward’, as opposed to the ‘ideal female citizen’ as secular and ‘modern’, religious Muslim women have been largely excluded from women’s movements in Turkey.
    [Show full text]