- Title: Kurdish women in Turkey demonstrate for their rights on Women's Day
- Date: 8th March 2017
- Summary: WOMEN MAKING VICTORY SIGNS, CLOSE SHOTS OF THEIR HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) DEMONSTRATOR, HASRET, SAYING: "Look at murders of women and injustices against women... We think the country is not rightfully governed. One man's rule is by no means right." (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) DEMONSTRATOR, RUKEN, SAYING: "Women are murdered and raped. Perpetrators are not brought to account.
- Embargoed: 22nd March 2017 15:15
- Keywords: Turkey women rally international women's day rights
- Location: DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY
- City: DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA002673O3T3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of Kurdish women on Wednesday (March 8) demonstrated in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir in Turkey to demand their rights and protest against injustices against women on International Women's Day.
"Women are murdered and raped. Perpetrators are not brought to account. These crimes are legalized. Women are always found guilty. Why does a woman walk on the street? Why is she out at nighttime? Why does she wear those clothes? Women are taught to be passive," Ruken, one of the demonstrators said.
Protesters voiced their concern about the referendum scheduled for on April 16 aiming to replace Turkey's parliamentary system with the stronger presidency, long sought by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
"Look at murders of women and injustices against women... We think the country is not rightfully governed. One man's rule is by no means right," Hasret, another demonstrator said.
Erdogan, a devout Muslim, has been criticised in the past by women's groups for failing to speak out more against domestic violence, telling women how many children to have and dismissing the Western idea of gender equality. He has previously equated birth control with treason.
Turkey ranked 130th out of 144 nations in the World Economic Forum's 2016 Gender Gap Index, dropping 25 places since 2006. Human rights monitor Bianet says 261 women were murdered in Turkey in 2016, nine percent of whom were murdered despite protection orders from the state prompting criticism that not enough is being done to protect victims. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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