Roj Women

1. A woman’s struggle: Using gender lenses to understand the plight of women human rights defenders in Kurdish regions of Turkey
2. Roj Women’s Association Annual Activities Report 2010/2011
3. Empowering Kurdish women in London: a consultation on their needs
4. Charter for the Rights and Freedoms of Women in the Kurdish Regions and in the Diaspora
5. Enforcing the Kurdish Women Charter
6. Turkey’s National Action Plan to Combat Violence against Women
7. Opuz vs. Turkey ECHR Decision
8. Human Rights Watch’s December 2008 Report on Police Violence
9. KHRP Shadow Report for Turkish Government Review of its commitments under CEDAWon of Women in Turkey
10. AI Report: All Children Have Rights: End Unfair Prosecutions of Children Under Anti-Terrorism Legislation in Turkey
11. Çocuk haklari Evrenseldir: Türkiye’de çocuklarin Terörle mücadele yasalari Altinda adil olmayan Yargilamalarina son verin (AI Report in Turkish)
12. The Increase in Kurdish Women Committing Suicide
13. Turkey’s shame: sexual violence without redress
14. Human Rights in the Kurdish Region of Turkey
15. The role of Kurdish women in conflict prevention and resolution
16. Communication to Commission on the Status of Women on Status of Kurdish Women – KHRP, 2009
17. Kurdish women: multiple oppression and access to healthcare
18. Is the Turkish National Action Plan to combat Violence against Women achieving its goals?

Combating Domestic Violence Against Women National Action Plan 2007 – 2010

REPUBLIC OF TURKEY PRIME MINISTRY Directorate General on the Status of Women

The Turkish Government acknowledges its own shortcomings in tackling violence against women and commits in this action plan to address this phenomenon more thoroughly. The Action Plan encompasses comprehensive and applicable activities to be developed in accordance with the objectives related to six main: legal arrangements, social awareness and mental transformation, advancement of women’s socio-economic status, protective services, curative and rehabilitation services, and inter-sectoral cooperation. Raising social awareness on gender equality and ensuring the necessary mental transformation are identified in the action plan as being of utmost importance in the prevention of violence against women.

Groundbreaking Decision regarding Violence against Women

European Court of Human Rights Decision: Opus vs. Turkey

On June 9, 2009, the European Court of Human Rights issued a groundbreaking decision concerning violence against women. In Opuz vs. Turkey, the court held that the Turkish government violated three articles of the European Convention on Human Rights and failed to take steps to protect victims/survivors of repeated instances of domestic violence. It also noted that the failure of a government to address gender-based domestic violence is a form of discrimination under the Convention, affirming and strengthening CEDAW. The facts of the case demonstrate a pattern by the Turkish local authorities (in South East Turkey) of not taking action in violence committed in the marital relationship.

HRW 2008 Report on Police violence in Turkey

Closing Ranks Against Accountability: Barriers to Tackling Police Violence in Turkey

Human Rights Watch’s December 2008 report contains detailed recommendations to the Turkish government on combating police violence. Recommendations relating to demonstrations include: Establish an effective independent police complaints authority to investigate police misconduct promptly, leading to the prosecution of offenders

HRW 2008 Report in Turkish Adalete Karşı Safları Sıklaştırmak

KHRP has submitted a shadow report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The report is for consideration by the Committee in their upcoming review of the Turkish government’s observance of their obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

AI Report: All Children Have Rights:  End Unfair Prosecutions of Children Under Anti-TerrorismLegislation in Turkey

Amnesty International

Since 2006, thousands of children in Turkey, some as young as 12, have been prosecuted under anti-terrorism legislation solely for their alleged participation in demonstrations focused on issues of concern to members of the Kurdish community. While Amnesty International recognizes the obligation of the Turkish authorities to maintain order and to prevent damage to property during the sometimes violent demonstrations, Amnesty International is gravely concerned at the systematic violation of the rights of the child committed during the arrest, detention and trial of these children. While arrests and prosecutions continue, Amnesty International is also concerned that proposed amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Law aimed at improving the situation for children prosecuted as a result of their participation in demonstrations will not prevent further violations occurring.

‘Empowering Kurdish women in London: a consultation on their needs‘

Roj Women’s Association

This research seeks to identify the unaddressed needs of Kurdish women living in London as well as to draw attention to the gaps in required services to tackle such needs and problems.