Dilan Babat-Hikmet Tunç

 

VAN - “Special pink bus for women” campaign launched by a group of men organized under the name of “Civil Solidarity Initiative” in Van province has seriously spark reaction of women and the women ask the men, “What's happening to you?”

 

“Special pink bus for women” campaign launched by a group of men organized under the name of “Civil Solidarity Initiative” in Van province has seriously spark reaction of women in Van.

 

‘We don’t have any problem, what is happening to you?’

 

Fatma Şelem said the man mind wanted to limit the living spaces of women and she added, “Women need to show themselves in every sphere of life. Several men gather and collect signatures against women to have a word for their right to live.  We don’t have any problem with standing up in the buses, why this is problem for men. Sexual assaults and harassment don’t occur like that. Harassment and sexual assaults are about your mentality. Will these pink buses change your mentality? Pink buses are a blow on women’s will.”

 

‘Women are being punished in every way’

 

Songül Deniz, activist of VAKAD closed down by emergency decree, reacted to signature stands set up for ‘Pink buses’ and she said, “If pink buses practice is implemented, the idea saying ‘Women will be accused of not taking pink buses if they are subjected to harassment when they take other buses’ will arise. This practice will limit women’s freedom not the harassers. Women are being punished in every way.”

 

Noting that women and children are subjected to sexual assaults and harassment in every sphere of life, Songül recalled the 38-day-old baby, who died due to sexual abuse. Songül said, “They don’t react to ongoing femicide and sexual abuses. But when the point in question is discrimination, they launch such kind of outdated campaigns. Now we are asking them, “Where were you while these kinds of things happened?” You cannot limit the women’s freedom. You don’t have right to say something on women’s life.”

 

‘Pink buses will pave the way for harassment’

 

Zelal Yıldız also said they would never accept the Pink buses and she added, “I was the only woman went to university in our village and I was frequently stoned by men. But I managed at the end. The pink buses will pave the way for harassment while there are dozens of children, who cannot go to school and the children are forced to marry.”

 

“They collect signatures on behalf of women,” Büşra Demir said, “Why do the men think for us? We can think for ourselves. Men are those who sexually assault and harass the women and children. Why isn’t this practice implemented for them?”