Determination of perception of violence against women in a mushroom factory employees in Antalya and effects of education intervention

In this study, it is aimed to determine the perception of violence against women in factory employees, to implement education intervention for violence against women and to monitor the effects of education intervention. The research is a field study of intervention type in pre-test and post-test design in a single group. Employees of a 4-branch factory in Antalya were trained on violence against women, gender, value education, girls' education, and women's labor force participation (total at least 20 hours). Trainings continued with presentations, screenwriting, debates, posters, brochures, group work and facebook sharing. After the trainings, the questionnaire was applied again. The research was completed with 193 people (participation rate: 77.2%). The survey consists of 46 questions; perception of violence, General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), perceived health, Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women in Marriage Scale. 62.2% of the participants were male. The rate of exposure to physical violence of the participants and the rate of witnessing the violence of the father to the mother as a child are quite high. Participants perceive psychological and economic violence as less violence than physical violence. Men and low educated participants have higher rate of seeing violence as legitimate and participating in sexist expressions. GHQ-12 score was associated with gender, marital status, to exposure/ to witness violence, seeing violence as legitimate. Perception, knowledge level, skills, attitude of violence against women changed positively, tolerance towards violence against women decreased, attitude towards separation changed positively after training intervention. It is possible to increase the level of knowledge and change the attitude with the trainings provided. Involving men has been shown to be an effective method of fighting violence against women and achieving gender equality.