Feminists' Dilemma—With or Without the State? Violence against Women and Women's Shelters in Turkey

What is it about?

This paper aims to describe the political issues surrounding the establishment and running of women’s shelters in Turkey. More specifically, we will look at the achievements of the women’s movement in this struggle as well as the points of contention between the state and feminists. Our theoretical goal in analyzing the case of struggle against violence towards women in Turkey is to reflect on how independent feminist organizations work with the state; what they demand from the state, and how they may be faced with accepting state intervention and erosion of principles as they receive the support of the state. In the first part of the paper, we will talk about the studies that aim to reveal the prevalence of violence against women in Turkey. Our goal in this part is to emphasize the importance of this social and political problem. In the second part, we will take the case of struggle with violence against women in Turkey in hand and give a brief history of this struggle, emphasizing the latest developments in the way in which the Turkish state approaches towards this issue. In the third part and fourth parts, we will review the literature on the relationship between the feminist movement, women’s civil society organizations, and the state.

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Why is it important?

Here, we will lay out what feminist scholars have experienced, thought about, and debated while working closely with the state and/or with large, influential non-governmental organizations. After reviewing the debates between feminist scholars on the advantages and disadvantages of working closely with the state and with large, influential non-governmental organizations, we will take the case of women’s shelters Turkey in hand. Here, we will talk about some of the experiences and related criticisms and warnings of feminists in Turkey on the issue of working closely with the state. More specifically, we will present the critiques of feminists to the state in the way in which the latter governs women’s shelters. We will draw on sources such as women’s magazines, conferences organized by women’s organizations, and interviews with feminist activists to present this critique. In line with the international literature on the involvement of the feminist movement with the state and powerful NGOs has shown, we argue that the shelter movement in Turkey faces the possibility of co-optation and loss of independence as the Turkish state takes on the responsibility of providing services to battered women. On the one hand, the state provides funds, staff and training to support women’s shelters, on the other hand, it controls, disciplines and intervenes to the way in which shelters are run. It imposes its own rules, guidelines and principles. In such a context, the safe place that feminists have intended to set up to provide protection and a healing environment for the battered women faces the danger of looking just like another institution of the modern, welfare state with its bureaucratic and hierarchical structure.