After a 20-year-old woman was found in Turkey after a bus driver allegedly attempted to sexually assault her, the community in Turkey and surrounding countries have raised awareness of the issue of women’s rights through an interesting social media campaign.
Murdered after she tried to fend off a bus driver who was allegedly trying to sexually assault her, 20-year-old woman, Özgecan Aslan, was found dead in the woodlands of Turkey.
The horrible circumstances surrounding her death have resulted in mass protests around the country, with thousands of people participating over several days to highlight the prevalence of violence against women.
Women have taken to Twitter to share their own experiences of violence and subjugation, sharing photos and stories, while men, too, have joined the discussion, sharing their support of women and the disdain for the unjust inequalities women face: being targeted because of the clothes they wear or being attacked, even on public transport.
More than 1,500 men from neighbouring country, Azerbaijan, have shared images of themselves wearing miniskirts along with the hashtag #ozgecanicinminietekgiy, which reportedly means “wear a miniskirt for Özgecan”.
Azeri erkekler #ozgecanicinminietekgiy mişler. Kadına şiddete hayır tamam ama mini etek giymemi beklemeyin 😀 pic.twitter.com/Xwt9GtiOki
— Gökhan İlhan (@gkhn_lhn) February 20, 2015
https://twitter.com/YeganeAyhan/status/568425382665285632
According to the BBC, the campaign’s Facebook page says, “If a miniskirt is responsible for everything, if [wearing] a miniskirt means immorality and unchastity, if a woman who wears a miniskirt is sending an invitation about what will happen to her, then we are also sending an invitation!”
https://twitter.com/RedHackETC/status/567495502342938625
Hopefully the light brought to the issue can see changes made to ensure women’s safety.
According to the pro-government press in Turkey, measures are being taken to “regulate the operation of minibuses and install panic buttons and GPS devices,” reports BuzzFeed, but that remains to be seen.
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