Violence Against Women Awareness Program organized at CIU

A Violence Against Women Awareness Program was organized by the Cyprus International University Women and Gender Studies Center (UKAMER) and Psychological Counseling and Guidance Center (PDAREM).

At the event organized with pandemic measures in place at the CIU Çevik Uraz Center Conference Hall, CIU Rector Prof. Dr. Halil Nadiri made an opening speech, while the program was conducted by UKAMER President Assist. Prof. Dr Mihrican Aylanç, and presentations were made by Assist. Prof. Dr. Muazzez Merve Avcıoğlu, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şölen Külahçı and Assist. Prof. Dr. Hasan Rüstemoğlu. The program ended with a video screening of "Be Aware, Make a Difference, Say Stop!" and an evaluation meeting, held under the supervision of expert Psychologists Çise Haşimoğulları and Huriye Koruşan.

CIU Rector Prof. Dr. Halil Nadiri stated that it is both important and meaningful to organize an event on violence against women, in an effort to create sensitivity and awareness, and went on to say, “It is both important and painful for us to commemorate such a day”. Emphasizing the prevalence of violence against women, Nadiri stated that violence does not occur proportionately to economic and educational levels, and may originate from people with differing educational and economic backgrounds.

Drawing attention to the importance of awareness-raising training to be held within the family during the pre-school period of a child’s life in order to prevent violence against women, Nadiri stated that this issue should be addressed not once a year but for a broader period of time.

Speaking on the "Violence Against Women and Its Psychological Dimensions" subject at the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muazzez Merve Avcıoğlu talked about physical, sexual, economic and psychological violence against women, in both the public and private spheres of life, evaluated the negative effects of sexist discourses in the social dimension, and offered solutions. Underlining that societies should not succumb to violence and unite against it, she emphasized that violence should be treated as a crime against humanity.

With her presentation on "Efforts to Protect Women Against Violence Under Quarantine Conditions: The Example of TRNC", Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şölen Külahçı reminded that a women's protection branch was opened in all police directorates in cooperation with the TRNC Ministry of Social Aid and Labor and the General Directorate of Police in 2018. Expressing that across the world, violence against women has increased during the pandemic period, Külahçı stated that it has shown a decrease in the TRNC, and went on to explain the reasons for this situation.

Speaking on "Male Violence in its Economic Dimension", Assist. Prof. Dr. Hasan Rüstemoğlu emphasized that violence is a public health problem. Stating that worldwide the participation of women in workforces are low, he said it is important for the state to assert positive discrimination if necessary. Rüstemoğlu also emphasized that non-governmental organizations should come to the field and called on women to be strong and self-sufficient.