JINHA

İSTANBUL - Women's Solidarity Foundation (KADAV) is holding a panel named "Migration and Gender Equality" to discuss the problems of refugee women and Istanbul Convention.

Women's Solidarity Foundation (KADAV) is holding a panel named "Migration and Gender Equality" to discuss the problems of refugee women and Istanbul Convention. Lawyers Sibel Özen, Elif Selen Ay and Bertan Tokuzlu participated in panel as speakers. Özgül Kaptal, who is an activist of KADAV and writer, acted as the moderator in the panel. The women pointed out the important role of the Istanbul Convention in the panel.

Sibel Özen said, "Istanbul Convention considers the mediation and conciliation in violence against women and domestic violence as violation of right. We know that a proposed law about mediation and conciliation is being talked in Turkey. Talking about the law is an indication of infringing of Convention."

Elif Selen Ay, Legal Officer/Protection Assistant at the Istanbul Field Office of United Nation's Refugee Agency (UNHCR) talked about "refugee women" in the panel. Elif Selen stated that more than 60 million people have been displaced in the world due to different reasons. She said that the camp sites aren't safe for the displaced migrant women and children. Elif said that displaced women have begun to have problems when they step in the border. Elif said, "Women may be exposed to violence and sexual assault by border guards and sometimes international organizations. The refugees can face rights violations because they don't know language and they cannot express themselves. Living in Turkey is already difficult for a woman but being a refugee woman is more difficult."

After lawyer Beritan Tokuzlu gave information about International conventions and the laws in Turkey, the panel has continued with the questions and answers of the participating women.

(ce-öç/ck/mg/gd)