As part of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality’s activities marking 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, awareness workshops held at Women’s Life Centres shared information on different forms of violence.

The awareness-raising work launched by the Department of Women and Family Services under the 25 November programme is continuing. A total of 120 women took part in the workshops, which were run in three groups at the Quça Women’s Life Centre, two groups at the Ben û Sen Women’s Life Centre, and one group at the Lalebey Women’s Life Centre.

Information shared on different forms of violence

The workshops provided comprehensive information on the various dimensions of violence against women. Alongside physical violence, the sessions raised awareness of increasingly prevalent forms such as psychological violence and digital violence. Participants were informed that psychological violence can include behaviours such as humiliation, threats, controlling conduct, isolation, undermining self-confidence and emotional manipulation, and it was emphasised that such violence can be as destructive as physical violence. The workshops also highlighted that psychological violence often continues in everyday life without being recognised, and shared strategies for coping with it.

The workshops also addressed digital violence, which has increased with the widespread use of technology. It was noted that digital violence can take many forms, including the unauthorised sharing of personal data, threatening messages, harassment via social media, digital tracking (stalking), and online reputation attacks.

The sessions further explained the mechanisms through which women can seek support in the face of violence, providing detailed information on the services offered by municipal solidarity centres and relevant institutions. The workshops attracted strong interest, with women also sharing their experiences.