Şilan Özhan

SİİRT – After appointment of trustees to municipalities held by the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), all women's institutions affiliated to the municipalities were closed down as part of AKP government policies that keep women at home. The trustee appointed to Siirt Municipality first changed the name of Berfin Women's Counseling Center and a man was appointed as manager of the center.

Interior Ministry appointed trustees to 94 municipalities held by the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) in place of elected co-mayors. The most affected groups by appointment of trustees are women and children. In the cities, where equal representation was put into effect along with co-mayors system by the municipalities held by the DBP, the women made decisions about their lives. Following the appointment of the trustees, women’s works were ended. Siirt is one of these cities, a trustee appointed to after detention of Siirt Municipality Co-mayor Tuncer Bakırhan. The first step taken by the appointed trustee was to destroy women’s gains.

Signboard removed, given a name chosen by trustee

Following the appointment of the trustee to the municipality, four women along with manager Pervin Akyürek were dismissed from their jobs in the Berfin Women's Counseling Center. Then, Berfin Women's Counseling Center, which offered social and economic support to women and carried out training and workshop activities, and had its own budget, was removed from the status of directorate. A man was appointed as manager of the center, and the center affiliated to the Directorate of Cultural and Social Affairs. The signboard reading Berfin Women's Counseling Center was removed and the name has been changed as ‘Women’s Center’.

Women feel uneasy while going out

Women have problems to go out and to bring them into existence in workplaces in Siirt province, a conservative city. Even they feel uneasy while walking in the streets and they have problems to walk on the sidewalk because they feel uncomfortable due to the men sitting outside of their shops. Women, who have faced physical, psychological and sexual violence by men living together in their homes, tried to stand on their own legs by taking support from the counseling center.

The women applied to the Berfin Women's Counseling Center for their problems before the appointment of the trustee are tried to be kept at homes.