Violence against women in Turkey and the role of public policies in preventing violence

Violence knows no geographical boundaries. Violence and abuse against women is one of the most widespread social problems in Turkey as well as in the world. Violence against women is characterised as an important social problem that violates women's fundamental human rights and freedoms such as life, health, nutrition, education, development and participation in social and economic life. This gender-based violence aims to oppress and dominate women. The family is recognised as one of the most common settings where violence against women is experienced. Although domestic violence against women has been known for a long time, in the past it was seen as a private matter concerning only the family. However, this perception has changed since the 1980s and violence against women has been recognised as a violation of human rights and a public health problem. In this context, some legal amendments were made in the struggle of women's organisations operating in this field to establish their own institutions, especially from the late 90s to the early 2000s. The changes in this period show that legislators and public authorities have started to recognise violence against women as gender-based discrimination. In this context, the aim of this study is to reveal violence against women in Turkey and the role of public policies in preventing such violence.