HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION

The Human Rights Association (İHD) Istanbul Branch released its 2010 report on violations of women's right to life.

Women all over the country were exposed to violence for various reasons which appeared in forms such as beating, killing, rape or honour killings, the members of the association announced. The report is based on the applications filed to the İHD, research and investigations carried out by women organizations and news reflected in the press.

A summary of the report was presented by Özlem Özdemir, member of the Women Human Rights Commission.

50 percent of suspicious "suicides" in Kurdish regions

In 2010, 46 women were killed by men for reasons of "honour". At least 281 women and children reverted to the judiciary and the courts on the grounds of sexual harassment, 182 women and children were raped, the report revealed.

According to the data compiled, 228 women committed suicide, died under suspicious circumstances or were killed by their husbands, partners or relatives in public areas. About half of all cases of "suspicious" suicides were committed in pre-dominantly Kurdish regions in south-eastern Turkey, 25 percent occurred in Central Anatolia.

Brothels as last resort to "escape"

The report suggests that at least 87 women were forced to prostitution, 60 percent of this group was forced to prostitution by their relatives, husbands and boy-friends.

A broad section of the report is allocated to the violation of the rights of sex workers. "Brothels seem to be a door to escape for unregistered sex workers that work on the streets", the report said.

"Brothels are places where violence, exploitation and forced labour can be controlled and avoided. The sex workers consider the probability of violence or killing lower at brothels. About 60,000 work applications of sex workers were registered by brothels", the report disclosed. (ELV/EÖ/VK)