Violence Against Handicapped Women

Handicapped Woman Association has prepared a violence report the first time directed at handicapped women and violence against them.

İdil Seda Ak, Gizem Tanay Aksaç, and Arzu Şenyurt Akdağ prepared this report in consideration of knowledge acquisition applications, media browsing, parliamentary questions and violation notice forms.

Rapora göre, şiddete uğrayan engelli kadınlar başvuru yapamıyor, sığınma evlerinde yoklar, milletvekillerinin soru önergelerinde bile onlara yer yok.

68 cases of rape, physical violence, sexual abuse and force to prostitution against handicapped women occurred in 2013-2014, according to the report. 14 news as to the subject took part in visual media.

Violence rate against handicapped women is very high in institutions such as nursery, rest home, rehabilitation centers. Violence perpetrators are usually staff of the institution.

In the light of responses to information acquisition applications, only 67 handicapped women applied to Center of Preventing and Monitoring Violence (ŞÖNİM), which is the first place women subjected to male violence apply for, from 2012 to 2014.

The association asked 29 metropolitan municipalities how many women applied for centers of refuge for women, however 10 of them responded and said they haven't received any applications.

In 2013 and 2014, 180 parliamentary questions were submitted to Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) over violence against women. None of those include violence against handicapped women except for the one given by Zuhal Topçu, MP of the National Movement Party (MHP). (NV/TK)

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