Woman Solidarity

The Cry of Women in Türkiye: The Power of Solidarity and Rebellion Through Art

The patriarchal system dominating the world continues to restrict women’s freedoms and complicate their lives with each passing second.

Türkiye has become a corrupted country where women face violence, are killed, sexually assaulted, and subjected to all kinds of harassment daily. The root cause of this political reality is quite simple: the lack of enforcement of deterrent punishments and the failure to implement Law 6284.

However, the oppression and marginalization of women is not just a problem for the justice system to solve. It’s also a matter of societal decay. The healing or restoration of society is essential.

Despite the conditions, women have always fought back, even in fear, and they will continue to do so. One of the strongest supporters of this resistance is art.

Artists are raising their voices against femicides. In Istanbul, the walls display portraits of women whose lives were violently taken, as if demanding accountability for the injustices they endured. These images transform the streets into silent cries. Those who see them don’t just see a face; they see oppression, the stolen lives, and the tragedy of it all. Street art exposes the inequalities women endure.

One of the most striking works addressing femicides in Türkiye is the Memorial Counter (Anıt Sayaç). This digital monument shares the stories and numbers of women killed each year. It makes the tragedy behind the cold statistics visible, ensuring they are not forgotten.

This digital art, used to amplify women's voices and defend their rights, keeps societal memory alive. It reminds us that these women are not just numbers and that femicides must never be normalized or trivialized.

Another example is the Solidarity Through Art Exhibitions organized by Mor Çatı (Purple Roof). These exhibitions feature women artists who aim to make the violence women experience visible through their art. The pieces in these exhibitions carry powerful messages about gender roles and women’s place in society.

Streets should not be places where women walk in fear but spaces where they exist freely, as they deserve. Yet, in the 21st century, women find themselves having to defend their very right to live. The Las Tesis performances from Chile echoed in Türkiye as well. Thousands of women gathered in public squares, shouting that victims of rape and violence are never to blame. This performance was a call for solidarity—a declaration that women, united, would not remain silent as their rights are stolen.

Art is a banner of rebellion and resistance in women’s rightful struggle. Every artwork that makes the tragedies women endure visible keeps societal memory alive and reminds us of our responsibility to drive change. Art is a collective way of saying that “we had enough” of the violence directed at women.