Legal aid for women who were raped or sexually maltreated other way by state security forces

Project funding in Istanbul/ Türkei

Since July 2004, medica mondiale supports the woman project founded by Eren Keskin and four other female lawyers. It is the only project in Turkey which explicitly opposes against the gender based violence practised by the state, and which supports the women affected by this.

Due to the social position of women in Turkey and the existing taboos this topic of gender based torture is largely hidden from the public. Up to now, the project in Istanbul is the only advice center which offers maltreated women in Turkey and in Kurdistan free legal advice, and which offers them a chance to an extensive rehabilitation by providing psycho- social care. In addition to this the female lawyers try to remove the taboo from the subject of gender based violence, to inform the Turkish public and to sensitize it to this. The medica mondiale project fund supports the Istanbul project with the financing of social payments like medicine, food or clothes for the women concerned. A long-term goal of the project is the cooperation on national and international bills of rights on the improvement of the situation of women. First successes were already achieved. Nowadays, the subject is discussed in the Turkish public, and Eren Keskin has got known as a courageous fighter for woman rights in and outside of Turkey - on 1 st of September she was awarded the Aachen Peace Prize 2004.

Information referring to Turkey