Turkey withdraws from the Istanbul Convention, putting the lives of millions of women in danger

Turkey withdraws from the Istanbul Convention, putting the lives of millions of women in danger

On Saturday, thousands of women and men gathered in the Kadiköy district to protest President Erdogan’s decision to withdraw Turkey from the Istanbul Convention. The decision was presented to the public in the middle of the night, from Friday to Saturday. The Istanbul Convention is the first international accord that provides a legal framework and offers victims of gender-based violence the chance to report incidents and restore the sense of safety in their lives. 

Turkey is already one of the countries with the most recorded deaths amongst women in Europe, and this number is rising; Deutsche Welle (DW) reported that in 2020 around 300 women were murdered in Turkey. This, however, is not considered to be the actual number since many cases remain unreported. The people who took part in the protest carried placards of women who have been killed, and they shouted, “Annul your decision, apply the treaty!”.  

Source of the picture: https://www.en24news.com/now/2021/03/turkey-quits-istanbul-convention-which-punishes-violence-against-women.html 

Source: https://www.euronews.com/2021/03/21/violence-against-women-thousands-protest-in-turkey-after-erdogan-ditches-european-treaty