Ceren Karlıdağ / JINHA

IZMIR - Women in Izmir have begun sewing bags declaring opposition to male violence. The bags are designed to help women recognize and defend each other in the streets, building a solidarity network against male violence.

After just one week, the women's solidarity bags are visible on women's armsacrossthe coastal city. Women in Izmir are calling on women everywhere to start making their own women's solidarity bags and to spread the network around the world.

Violence against women skyrocketed to the top of the agendain Turkey with the February 11 murder of ÖzgecanAslan, the 20-year-old university student raped and burned to death in Mersin province. The murder has provoked immense protests across the country.

"We asked ourselves what we could do before this rage dies down," said SinemAtasoy.Sinem and two other women began sewing bags adorned with slogans related to women's self-defense. They used social media to get in touch with women in other cities and started distributing the bags around the country.

"But we're only sending samples because rather than getting pre-made bags, we want women in every city to come together in women's workshops to make their own."

Such workshops are coming to life in Izmir. "Right now women and mothers in the neighborhoods have said they will volunteer to make bags themselves in their spare time to support us," said Sinem.

YaseminŞahin, a textile worker who is part of the project, said she was excited as soon as she heard about the idea.

"We definitely have no expectation of remuneration for this. One person brings the paint, one person brings the fabric and I do the sewing." She called on colleagues in the textile industry to open their workshops to women who wanted to make bags themselves.

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