Free Pad Campaign for Inmates to be Taken to Parliamentary Agenda

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The Women in Prison Network is taking its campaign launched to have women provided free pad to parliamentary agenda.

The core demand of the campaign is to secure women inmates’ right to free pad. Within this scope, it is aimed that regulations concerning the right to free pad be included in the legal statute.

Formed by the rights organizations, the Women in Prison Network is going to meet the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Human Rights Commission, Institution of Human Rights and Equality in Turkey, Union of Bar Associations of Turkey, Turkish Medical Association, and MPs from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and Republican People’s Party (CHP).

According to the data in November 2016, there are 7,894 women and 74 girls in prisons in Turkey.

Ministries, AKP and MHP haven’t given an appointment

Lawyer Ezgi Duman from the Women in Prison Network says that they requested appointment from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Family and Social Policies, Ministry of Health, Justice and Development Party (AKP), and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), but none has responded yet.

“We requested an appointment from the Ministry of Justice in June 2017, before we launched the campaign. We thought maybe we wouldn’t need a campaign. However, we couldn’t receive a response. We tried to get an appointment from the Ministry of Justice again after we launched the campaign but we were given no response.

“Ministry of Family and Social Policies, Ministry of Health, AKP, and MHP also didn’t respond to our call but this matter concerns a wide range of sections in society. Thousands of women and trans men have periods.

“The core demand of the campaign is to secure women inmates’ right to free pad. From time to time free pads are sent to prisons in turkey. However, there is no permanency in this practice and that very low quality pads are sent. We see this as a right of women and trans men. It is also a medical right”. (ÇT/TK)