Over 1,000 women from across Turkey hold a rally in Istanbul, urging President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reverse his decision to withdraw from an anti-violence treaty ahead of a formal exit on July 1.
In March, Erdogan sparked outrage by pulling out of the Istanbul Convention, the world’s first binding treaty to prevent and combat violence against women.
Women’s groups have organized two large protests in Istanbul, one on Saturday and the other on July 1, to encourage the government to reverse its decision before the official withdrawal. Until July 1, smaller protests are planned.
Over 1,000 women from across Turkey took part in the demonstration on the Asian side of Istanbul surrounded by a heavy police presence, an AFP correspondent said.
Some carried rainbow flags, while others carried signs proclaiming, “The Istanbul Convention is Ours.”
“Our hope is always rooted in our struggles, in our organizations,” Melek Ondas, of the Women’s Council association, said, adding that women came from 70 provinces to Istanbul.
“We believe in the strength of our organizations. And whether the decision is overturned or not, we will continue our struggle in every way possible,” she told AFP.
The Istanbul Convention, adopted by 45 nations and the European Union in 2011, mandates governments to adopt domestic violence legislation, including marital rape and female genital mutilation.
Women’s rights organizations accuse the government of withdrawing from the treaty to appease conservatives who claimed the treaty damaged family unity.
Conservatives also claimed references to equality in the treaty were used by the LGBT community to gain broader acceptance in Turkish society.
However, critics of Erdogan’s move argue that it puts women in Turkey at risk in a country where violence against women is common.
According to the rights organization We Will Stop Femicide Platform, 300 women were murdered last year, with 177 deceased thus far this year.
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