Turkey (MNN) — In Turkey, nearly 200 women have been murdered in domestic violence cases this year.
In July of 2021, Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, which intended to protect women from violence. Officials claimed the convention was incompatible with Turkish culture.
Joe Willey with SAT-7 USA says, “The COVID pandemic is a factor that brought about an increase in domestic violence. Now this is in many countries, not just in Turkey, but many women continue to be the subject of violence. Even [when] they follow legal steps, like getting a restraining order, many times the orders are not enforced.”
“So the violence escalates. And then in extreme cases, yes, there’s femicide.”
Through the program You Are Not Alone, SAT-7 TÜRK teaches that women are made in God’s image and equally valuable to men. Experts like psychologists, therapists, and sociologists appear on the show.
Willey says, “This program was created in 2020 to provide advice from experts on the struggles of going through the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the threat of domestic violence toward women. It is a program that does promote the sanctity of life.”
Pray women across Turkey would hear about God’s love for them through this show.
People in North America can benefit from this message as much as anywhere else, Willey says. “Stresses like pandemic lockdowns will reveal problems hidden just under the surface. No country, whether the U.S., Turkey, or any other country in the Middle East and North Africa, is immune from the violence and conflict.”
Header photo courtesy of SAT-7 USA.
