On Sunday 24th November the Day-Mer women’s commission held an event for the International Day for the elimination of violence against women.
The event held at the Day-Mer culture centre in North London with over 50 men and women attending the event of all ages. Showing their support and learn more about the different programmes and the way in which Day-Mer helps women and children how have faced or are facing violence.
The event started with a short film, followed by a member of the women Day-Mer women’s commission a short speech about the struggle women face in the UK and across the world. “Here as well, we have some mother or single mother whether it oppression from the government, from their economic struggles or abuse from their husbands. We work long hours its again different oppression from the system or we are separated from our husbands and to ensure we do not encounter them we are forced to comply by the government’s oppression for a couple of pence to help us. Sadly these are different levels of violence and oppression we face in our daily life. This is why we have to raise our voice together and stand up together and continue to fight against this. “
Following this spoke Belgin Ozturk who teacher’s art lessons at the Day-Mer and one of the women who herself painted a powerful of the violence women face at the hands of ISIS, the images of a mother holding a child while walk which children following her she said: “There are nearly 3000, women and children waiting to be saved and helped, I thought how can we represent this violence, some write romances, some write poems this something very present today. We need to help these women, write some are in camps, some are living in the worst part of the cities…”
Talking about the statics of the violence women face across the women it was explained that across the world half of the women are subjected to abuse from their husbands, each year some 1 million daughters are killed, in the UK 1 out 7 women face abuse from their partners and in France every monthly 6 women are killed at the hands of family violence and in Turkey 97% of women face violence.
A powerful performance of an abused woman was given by one of the members, the program followed talking about the importance of stand up against the violence against women and looking at the presentation of the artwork.