38 women reported male violence by using panic button a day

* Photo: Zeynep Kuray - "Uprise"

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Vice Chair and İstanbul MP Gamze Akkuş-İlgezdi has announced that 30 thousand 601 women reported male violence by using the mobile app called Women Support Application (KADES), which has been in use in Turkey since 2018.

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She submitted a Parliamentary question

CHP Vice Chair Akkuş-İlgezdi previously submitted a Parliamentary question to the Ministry of Interior, asking about the KADES app, which was jointly developed by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services and has been in use since March 24, 2018.

The main objective of the app, or the "panic button", is to ensure swift intervention in the event that a woman who was previously subjected to violence or is currently facing such a risk is subjected to violence.

According to the answer of the Interior Ministry, 453 thousand 12 women downloaded the application and 30 thousand 601 women have used it to report male violence from March 24, 2018 to June 2, 2020.

Based on these figures, Akkuş-İlgezdi has noted that "38 women reported violence with the panic button mobile app a day." She has further noted that "these women who could report male violence were the ones who could use a smartphone and, therefore, download the KADES application."

"In other words, the data that have not been announced reveal a much greater and burning issue," she has stressed further.

1,216 percent increase in 17 months

Akkuş-İlgezdi has also shared the following information:

"In the first 9 months, 34 thousand 424 women downloaded the KADES app. This number has increased by 1,216 percent 17 months later.

"Similarly, while 6 thousand 822 women reported violence in the first 9 months, this number has also increased by 348 percent 17 months later."

Based on these figures, the MP has concluded, "This increase proves that violence against women cannot be prevented."

23 women are afraid of violence per hour

Reminding that "instead of combating violence against women, the government is making efforts to abolish İstanbul Convention," she has said:

"38 women a day and 1.5 woman an hour reported violence on their smartphones. As for the number of women who downloaded the KADES application, fearing that they might be subjected to violence, is 453 thousand 12. In other words, 566 women a day and 23 women an hour are afraid of being subjected to violence at any time."

'Ministry admitted increase in violence'

In answering the Parliamentary question of CHP's Gamze Akkuş-İlgezdi, the Ministry of Interior has said, "In the first five months of the year, the number of preventive measure orders increased by 59 percent and the number of protective measures orders increased by 70 percent."

Referring to these rates, the MP has underlined that this increase "is the Ministry's confession that violence has increased."

Number of killed women not revealed

Concluding her statement, Akkuş-İlgezdi has indicated that even though she asked the Ministry of Interior about the number of KADES app users who were killed in feminicides, this question as to the number of killed women as a result of male violence has been left unanswered. (EMK/SD)