AI Letter Contest Commemorates Güldünya Tören

Under a campaign titled "End Violence Against Women!", the Turkish branch of Amnesty International announced that it is organising a letter competition named "Call to Guldunya." The aim of the competition is to raise awareness about crimes committed in the name of honor.

February 5 is the deadline

Men and women of all ages can participate in the competition. The most important criteria is to use a language sensitive to social sexuality and an attitude that aims to change the social viewpoint that deems violence against women normal, that accepts it and participates in it.

February 5, 2006 is the deadline to send letters for the "Call to Guldunya" letter competition. Aylin Aslim, Emine Yaman, Halime Guner, Ilkay Bahcetepe, Leyla Ipekci, Leyla Pervizat, Nebahat Akkoc, Sevket Akdemir, Yesim Denizel and Yildirim Turker will serve on the jury and the results will be announced on March 8, 2006.

Who is Guldunya Toren?

Guldunya Toren was raped by her aunt's son-in-law and got pregnant. She was killed in February 2004 by her brothers, who committed the murder to clean the 'honor' of the family. Toren's tragedy has played an important role in revealing honor murders in Turkey.

Amnesty International is calling on everyone who has something to say against honor murders to write a letter in the name of Guldunya Toren. Toren has become a symbol of honor murders, which are considered the most horrible form domestic violence, and which are often planned and committed in cold blood.

Background information

Amnesty International launched a worldwide campaign in March 2004 against the violence women suffer at home, in society and at the hands of state.

The aim of the "Call to Guldunya" letter competition is to point out that violence against women is a violation of human rights, to show that women from all parts of the society are faced with violence, and to end physical, mental and economic violence against women.

Amnesty International emphasized that all people, from the state to non-governmental organizations, both men to women, should cooperate to end violence against women, which is viewed as an ordinary thing due to cultural, religious or social reasons. "Violence against women gets its strength from discrimination," said Amnesty, which underlined that the state is responsible for preventing and punishing violence. (AD/EA/YE)