Women’s shelters and responses to domestic violence in izmir, turkey

There is a growing public awareness of the problem of domestic violence in Turkey, spurred on by Turkey’s efforts to improve women’s legal situation as part of the process of bringing the country’s civil and penal codes in line with European Union standards. While legal changes are admirable, they do not always translate into actual improvements for women. Many victims of domestic violence still have little recourse, since there are few shelters for battered women and these are often subject to financial and operational limitations. Based on research conducted in Turkey in 2004 and 2006, this paper discusses preliminary findings relating to the success of women’s shelters in Izmir province in providing refuge for battered women. This will include an investigation of the institutional strengths and weaknesses of the Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHÇEK) of Izmir in dealing with victims of domestic violence, and will discuss how general institutional weakness has compromised the effectiveness of the state-run women’s shelters, despite the best efforts of SHÇEK personnel. Personal narratives of battered women will be included to demonstrate the relative efficacy of institutional and judicial responses to domestic violence.

Domestic Violence ,

Gender ,

Women’s Shelters ,

Institutions ,

Civil Law ,

Penal Codes ,

Turkey ,