First Anniversary of the Turkey Earthquake: Deepening Needs and Challenges for Women and Girls
One year after the February 6, 2023 earthquakes, life remains challenging for women and girls affected by the disaster.
On February 6, 2023, an earthquake struck the southeastern region of Turkey, claiming the lives of more than 50,000 people and affecting 15 million others. One year later, the region still harbours 1.2 million women and young girls of reproductive age, including 64,000 pregnant women, following earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.6 in magnitude.
While 3.3 million people were displaced, approximately 2 million of them found shelter in tents and container cities.
UNHCR officials point out that the region is among the cities hosting the highest number of refugees in the world. In the earthquake-affected city of Kilis, it is noteworthy that one out of every two individuals is a refugee.
TOG Report Reveals Post-Earthquake Challenges for Women and Girls
The May 2023 report by the Community Volunteers Foundation (TOG) sheds light on the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, revealing significant challenges faced by women and girls. They faced difficulties in accessing shared toilets, taking showers, and finding clean water. Moreover, the conservative nature of the earthquake-affected cities, in contrast to the rest of the country, led to the omission of essential hygiene products like pads and underwear for women and girls from many humanitarian aid and supply lists. The report underscores the difficulty women encounter in openly expressing their needs.
According to a volunteer cited in the report, "Men felt embarrassed to request hygiene products like pads for the women in their families and were unable to articulate their needs." Volunteers also stressed that the needs of pregnant women at risk of miscarriage were not adequately addressed.
After the earthquake, while the Turkish government declared a Level-4 emergency, the number of female volunteers arriving in the region was also lower due to the challenging conditions of the area. Both volunteers and professional workers faced difficulties accessing the same basic necessities as the earthquake survivors since they lived under the same conditions.
UN Women “Her Aftermath” Report
The recent UN Women report highlights the complex challenges emerging in the aftermath of earthquakes in rural areas, compounding existing issues. Shifts in family dynamics and household roles, coupled with a surge in population due to migration, have led to overcrowded living conditions, heightened domestic violence, increased tension, and a reported rise in substance abuse. Women and girls, particularly, bear the brunt of unmet basic needs, intensifying their vulnerability.
Inter-household and community tensions, notably directed at minority groups, result in daily security incidents, contributing to an atmosphere of unease. The report sheds light on potential disparities in accessing essential services, emphasizing the heightened social tension and insecurity, further restricting the mobility of women in affected areas. Urgent interventions and targeted support are underscored as essential to address the multifaceted impact of earthquakes on the well-being of women and vulnerable populations.
Risk of Child, Early, and Forced Marriage
According to the report, child, early, and forced marriages pose an increasing risk for girls in earthquake-affected regions. Before the earthquakes, the prevalence of early and child marriage was notably higher than the national average in several affected provinces. Concerns about safety, particularly in the event of further earthquakes, have led parents to express reluctance in sending their children to school. Field accounts suggest that children in rural areas and villages are especially vulnerable to Child, Early, and Forced Marriage (CEFM) due to deeply rooted social norms and the lack of educational infrastructure. The report also highlights that CEFM is more prevalent among Syrian refugee groups and the Roma population, both facing a variety of socio-economic barriers.
Minority Women
The region where the earthquake occurred is one of the cities in Turkey with a high concentration of Syrian refugees. Therefore, women belonging to disadvantaged groups affected by the earthquake have limited access to humanitarian aid compared to other groups. Many Syrian women could not benefit from health services due to the higher presence of male doctors in the field.
Minority women, particularly those originating from outside of Turkey, such as Syrian, Afghan, Iranian, and Iraqi women, face significant challenges in securing a safe place to live. The report, based on field observations and discussions with civil society, reveals that certain groups, including Roma populations, Syrians under temporary protection, persons under international protection, or migrants, may encounter exclusion from service and aid provision in some tent and container cities. This exclusion encompasses basic facilities and conditions such as electricity, lighting, and health services.
Access to Legal Service and Language Barrier
The report also highlights that the earthquake-affected region faces barriers in reporting cases of violence, interacting with law enforcement, seeking legal support, and receiving comprehensive case management services. The region, with traditionally gendered family roles and low trust in reporting outcomes, had a relatively low rate of reporting domestic violence before the earthquakes. In contrast, criminal courts in five affected provinces showed higher proportions of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and child sexual abuse cases compared to nearby provinces.
Despite a lack of post-earthquake Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) prevalence data, widespread accounts from field monitoring suggest a rise in VAWG. However, reporting mechanisms and the capacities of law enforcement and judicial bodies have been severely impeded.
Many women lack access to vital information on where to seek support, and the available information is not provided in languages like Farsi, Arabic, Kurdish, and Zaza, limiting its reach. Emergency hotlines are often unknown to women, even when cases are reported. Displacement of both survivors and perpetrators hampers effective case follow-up.
Despite widespread mental health concerns, seeking psychosocial support remains a challenge due to reluctance within the affected population. Legal support and victim services, including judicial interview rooms, are not fully operational post-earthquake, potentially causing overcrowding in child-specific centres. Damaged centres also contribute to a service provision gap for child survivors of sexual crimes.
“Young women no longer have a life”
Berra, a 22-year-old resident enduring life in the container city of Kahramanmaraş, shared her post-earthquake experiences, revealing a particularly distressing environment, especially for children and young girls. She stated, "The container city is especially challenging for children and young girls. Child abuses and rape have occurred here, resulting in the death of two children.”
Speaking about the intricate situation for young women, Berra emphasized, "Young women no longer have a life." The close living quarters have obliterated most social lives, leaving them with little to do even if they venture outside. "They can't go out, and even if they do, there's nothing to do in the container city. They have lost their social lives and their dreams” she said.
Regarding security in the container city, Berra noted, "They don't approve of girls spending too much time outside. With so many people in such close quarters and no security cameras anymore due to overwhelming incidents, they can't handle it anymore. Every kind of crime has surged since everyone was gathered in the same area, after the earthquake."
Discussing Syrians and other minorities, Berra added, "Syrians are trying to live in tents and makeshift shelters. Theft has become widespread, and with less access to basic needs, looting and theft crimes have increased significantly."
“They need privacy and security”
Elif Usta, a young psychologist working as a volunteer and providing psychosocial support services in the earthquake-affected areas of Hatay and Kahramanmaraş cities, shared the following observations: "What we observe most intensely in women and girls is their lack of a sense of privacy. The cramped living conditions in the container city contribute to this situation. What young girls, girls, and women need the most are a sense of privacy, security, and the restoration of their shaken trust."
Usta added the following: "Culturally, seeking treatment for psychological disorders is not very common in the region affected by the earthquake. Therefore, women are trying to cope with the trauma they experienced after the earthquake on their own to avoid being stigmatised as 'crazy.'"
Regarding the social life of women and girls in the container city, Usta stated: "There are not enough psychological support teams in the field, and those available are not focused on women and girls. A thorough analysis of the disaster area is needed, and spaces for women and girls to socialise should be created."
References:
United Nations Population Fund (2024, February). “Situation Report: Turkiye Earthquake Responses after 1 year.” Available at: https://turkiye.unfpa.org/en/eq-1st-year-sitrep
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2024, February 7). “UNHCR responds to deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.” Available at: https://www.unhcr.org/tr/38493-unhcr-responds-to-deadly-earthquakes-in-turkiye-and-syria.html
Toplum Gonulluleri Vakfi (2023, May). “Afet Bolgesindeki Genc Kadlindar Raporu.” Available at: https://www.tog.org.tr/files/arastirmalar/depremde-genc-kadinlar-raporu.pdf
Turkish Red Crescent (2024, 19 January ).”Türkiye - TRC: Migrants Affected by Disaster III - Displaced Migrants Affected by the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake.” Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/turkiye/turkiye-trc-migrants-affected-disaster-iii-displaced-migrants-affected-kahramanmaras-earthquake-november-2023-entr
UN Women (2023). “Her Aftermath: The Impact of the Earthquakes in Turkiye: Focus on Prevention and Response to Violence Against Women and Girls.” Available at: https://eca.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/her_aftermath_evaw_mission_report_2.pdf
Bianet (2024, 5 February). “Depremde mülteci olmak iki kere zor.” Available at: https://bianet.org/haber/depremde-multeci-olmak-iki-kere-zor-291445
Evrensel (2024, 5 February). “Bir yılın ardından depremzede mülteciler: Yalnızlığın yalnızlığı.” Available at: https://www.evrensel.net/haber/509686/bir-yilin-ardindan-depremzede-multeciler-yalnizligin-yalnizligi
Bianet (2024, 7 February). “Kadın Koalisyonu raporu: Her 10 kadından 6’sı 'gıda yetersiz' dedi.” Available at:
https://bianet.org/haber/kadin-koalisyonu-raporu-her-10-kadindan-6si-gida-yetersiz-dedi-291524
About the author:
Hatice Beyza Sezgin is a trainee lawyer and youth worker from Türkiye. Her academic interests focus on International Humanitarian Law, humanitarian action, youth engagement, and women's rights.
