Mersin Independent Women’s Association

The Independent Women’s Association was established in 1996 as a product of 2-year evaluation meetings by a group of activist women. Since its establishment in 1996, the Association has been working in the field of combating violence against women. With its Women’s Counselling and Solidarity Centre, it provides legal and psychological support to women who have been abused and has been standing in solidarity with women for years. As well as the efforts of our counselling centre, our association works in the field of violence against women, primarily on the passing of various laws into our legal system and raising awareness of women and civil servants of the rights gained in the process, the development of women’s understanding of violence and the establishment of institutional mechanisms in this area.

The Independent Women’s Association is an independent women’s group that aims to eradicate all kinds of violence against women, particularly domestic violence, through solidarity, and to change the second-class position of women in every aspect of life. To this end, we undertake efforts to raise awareness of the public about women’s rights through the media, and to contribute to the societal change of the idea which lends legitimacy to and excuses violence against women.

The association receives donation from various institutions and individuals as well as from its members, and its continued existence is thanks to the support of volunteers. It generally operates to inform the public, lobby, and defend the fight against violence against women and to change the unequal circumstances which lead to the violence to the benefit of women.

As the independent women’s association,

We aim to decide upon all our efforts and our methods through a female perspectives and abide by feminist principles.

We reach decisions through reconciliation. We seek out and try new methods so that everyone can express themselves better.

Despite having elected official representatives and committees, we run our inner structure and our communication with other institutions through horizontal organisation.

We try to use our resources primarily for the support of women’s personal development.

We believe that it is important that women establish genuine and transparent connections with one another to attain awareness regarding the achievement of solidarity.

We say ‘Yes’ to:

Encouraging everyone to speak out and become informed, using non-violent language in criticism, and being open to criticism

Searching and trying out new methods for everyone to be able to express themselves in meetings

Paying attention to our feelings, voicing them, and avoiding taking offence

Viewing all our concurrent efforts as the equally important links in a chain

Allowing anyone to try out any of the tasks at hand provided that they are eager to do so

We say ‘No’ to:

Prejudice

Decision-making without sufficient information

Labelling

Judging

Blaming

Discrimination