WOMEN PROTECTION UNIT
In the Women Protection Unit of Refugees Association, support is provided to lonely women, lone parents, women who might need shelter, human-trafficked women, women who were forced or dragged into prostitution, and women who experience gender-based violence. We aim to have strong women who know their rights, who can stand on their feet without being dependent on anyone else, everywhere.
WHAT WE DO?
Kadın Refah Birimi, özellikle risk adı veya şiddet mağduru olan kadınların kaybı, haklarının ve güçlenmesini sağlamak için destek sunmaktadır. Vaka yönetimi, doğrudan temizleme veya birime yönelik tedavilerle yapılan değerlendirmelere dayanılarak başlatılır. Bu süreci, konuşmanın ilerlemesini sağlama, riskleri en aza indirme ve buna göre uyarlanmış destek sağlamak için planlama, yönlendirme ve takip adımlarını içerir. Birimin çalışmaları, kadınların kendi yaşamları üzerinde kontrol sahibi olmalarına, sosyal eşitsizliklerle çıkmalarına ve temel hizmetlere erişimlerini kolaylaştırmalarına yardımcı olmayı amaçlayan ekolojik sistemler ve ilkeler çerçevesinde yürütülmektedir.
Home Visits and Client Support
Home visits are conducted to assess the client’s overall situation. During these visits, living conditions and safety are evaluated. When necessary, clients are referred to relevant institutions and accompanied throughout the process.
Institutional Referrals and Accompaniment: When required, clients are referred to institutions such as ŞÖNİM (Violence Prevention and Monitoring Center for Women), law enforcement, hospitals, or other relevant organizations, and unit staff accompany them throughout the process.
Safe Shelter: When clients need placement in safe shelters, transportation and interpreter support are provided, and the process is closely monitored.
Step-by-Step Support: In cases where the client cannot manage the process independently (e.g., due to psychological issues), support is provided at every stage.
Medical Reports and Documentation: When necessary, unit staff accompany the client to the hospital to complete official procedures. Even after the immediate crisis has passed, field visits and case follow-up continue, aiming to empower the client and ensure their safety is sustainable.
Kadın Refah Birimi, müşterilerinin temel ihtiyaçlarını karşılamak ve yaşam koşullarını iyileştirmek için insani yardım sağlamaktadır. Bu, hem ayni destek (gıda, giyim, hijyen malzemeleri vb.) hem de nakit yardımı içermektedir.
Based on the client’s needs and risk level, referral support is provided at every stage of the process. This may involve directing the client to internal units within the organization or, when necessary, to external institutions such as law enforcement, ŞÖNİM (Violence Prevention and Monitoring Center for Women), hospitals, the Directorate General of Migration Management, or other official agencies. The referral process is planned, accompanied, and monitored with the client’s safety and rights as the top priority.
Our unit regularly organizes trainings and seminars to support women’s rights, safety, and empowerment. The design of these trainings is based on empowerment and awareness-raising theories. The training content includes:
- Complaint Mechanisms: Procedures for reporting rights violations and cases of violence.
- Empowerment Trainings: Activities aimed at fostering women’s independence and self-confidence.
- Support Mechanisms for Women: Social, legal, and psychological support options.
- Bodily Privacy Education: Awareness of one’s own body and methods of protection.
- Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Training: Types of violence, rights, and protection measures.
- Risks of Child Marriage: Awareness-raising and prevention initiatives.
These trainings are conducted regularly to raise awareness, protect women’s rights, and promote their empowerment.
Frequently Asked Questions
In order to have the right to alimony in Turkey, there is an official marriage requirement. Conditions for the inability to receive alimony even if there is an official marriage;
- People with a certain income who will not suffer from poverty after a divorce,
- People with a regular income, such as salary, monthly income, widow’s pension, pension, old-age pension,
- People who receive a sufficient amount of social assistance, have rental income, have income from abroad, have unemployment benefits,
- People who have a profession, perform their profession and, accordingly, have a certain income,
- Spouses who are civil servants,
- Spouses who have a certain amount of money in the bank, have an interest income,
- People who have a profession or have a certain ability, but who refuse to use it willingly,
- Gambling addicted spouses,
- Spouse with the same income as their partner,
- A spouse whose partner is poor cannot receive alimony due to their poverty after a divorce.
18 of the labor code. Pregnancy, which is clearly stated in accordance with the article, does not constitute a valid reason for the termination of the employment contract.
Article 5 of the same code states that different procedures that may be direct or indirect due to pregnancy cannot be performed on an employee unless the reasons that will not affect the physical, biological, or nature of the work are mandatory. Women working in violation of these laws will be able to demand compensation and other rights that are their own.
According to Article 74 of the Labor Code; It is essential that female workers are not employed for a total period of sixteen weeks, including eight weeks before and eight weeks after childbirth.
There are state shelters (ŞÖNİM) for the shelter of women who have been subjected to violence from their spouses or relatives. It is important that a woman who has experienced physical violence receives an assault report from a doctor within the first 72 hours.
First of all, it is necessary to apply to law enforcement agencies such as the Police and the gendarmerie for a request for housing and a complaint. 24/7 support can be obtained from the “155” Police Emergency Line or “183” Women, Children and Social Services hotline by phone in case it is not possible to leave the house. In complaints to law enforcement agencies, it should be added to the statement that there is a request for housing in cases that law enforcement agencies do not remember.
Regardless of whether they are men or women, the procedures regarding the establishment of an individual or capital company for beneficiaries under international protection or temporary protection are carried out by applying the company establishment procedures over the foreign identity number starting with 99. These procedures;
- An application is submitted to the tax office with a petition to open a place of work. By receiving a tax certificate, the tax opening will be made.
- From the chamber of merchants and craftsmen, the registry is made. After that, chamber registration is made.
- An application for a work permit is made through E-State.
- Registration is created in Bağkur.
- An application for a work permit and a license is submitted to the municipality.
- A license can be obtained after a police officer from the municipality comes and examines it.
With the Civil Code, monogamy is accepted instead of polygamy. The idea of divorce is the act of filling divorce papers with the specified reasons and this act is done with a court decision. In terms of inheritance, the Law suggests that both sons and daughters receive equal shares.
According to the Turkish Civil Code, only official marriage is legally recognized in Turkey. Official marriage is important for securing the legal rights of children and spouses.
According to Article 5 of the Labor Code the Principle of Equal Treatment contained in the Article, no distinction can be made in business relations based on language, race, color, gender, disability, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion, and sect. The employer may not take any different actions in making, creating, implementing, and terminating an employment contract for an employee due to gender or pregnancy, unless biologics or reasons related to the nature of the work are mandatory. For a job of equal value, lower pay cannot be agreed upon due to gender. The application of special protective provisions due to the sex of the worker (maternity leave, maternity leave, etc.) does not justify the application of a lower wage. Men and women have equal rights before the law.