Women's federation criticizes Turkey's 'Family Year' initiative
The Turkish Federation of Women’s Associations has criticized the government's plans for 2025 as the "Family Year" and launching a family institute. Federation president Canan Güllü called the initiatives neglectful, reminding that most femicides happen within families.
Duvar English
Canan Güllü, president of the Turkish Federation of Women’s Associations, on Jan. 8 criticized the government's declaration of 2025 as "Family Year" and the establishment of "Family Institutes," saying, “There is sexual abuse and violence within families. Catastrophic issues are being ignored.”
Güllü spoke to ANKA News Agency regarding President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s declaration of 2025 as "Family Year" and plans by the Family and Social Services Ministry to establish the “Population Policies and Family Institute.”
She called the longstanding “three children” directive an intrusion into private life and emphasized the need to address systemic shortcomings before promoting such initiatives.
She stated that the federation recorded 421 femicides in 2024, highlighting, “It feels wrong to emphasize protecting the concept of family while mechanisms safeguarding women’s right to life are neglected. Most of the women murdered were killed within families, by their husbands.”
Güllü pointed out that men who struggle to navigate divorce often resort to violence against women. She asked, “Isn’t it a significant problem when men within families kill women? While women are being murdered, you claim the family institution is thriving. We aren’t against the family institution, but we must address its internal issues.”
She continued, “Families face sexual abuse, violence, and economic strife, yet you ignore these crises and proclaim a 'Family Year.' Encouraging three children without addressing poverty and social violence leaves families unequipped to care for these children.”
Güllü criticized the government for overlooking the struggles of women within families. She argued that women are viewed as "incubators," with no attention to their well-being after bearing children. “You won’t provide support mechanisms when I’m struggling, but you’ll tell me to ‘procreate’ instead,” she said.
She emphasized that population policies and demographics are crucial for sustaining families but must prioritize protecting individuals' rights to life.
Güllü added, “We don’t want a government functioning as a marriage bureau. The primary duty of governments is to ensure citizens’ survival, health, and well-being. Ignoring poverty and violations of the right to life while establishing institutes is absurd. Twenty or thirty institutes could be founded daily, but the government must first address the core issues plaguing Turkey.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 25 established the Family Institute and Population Policies Board with a presidential decree.
The Population Policies Board aims “to ensure the formulation and more effective implementation of population policies with a holistic approach in coordination, to monitor and evaluate developments in the demographic structure.”
The Family Institute will be responsible for “protecting and strengthening the family structure and values, increasing the social welfare of the family, conducting research covering all the activities of the Ministry to create policies and data on women, children, disabled, elderly, relatives of martyrs, veterans and relatives of veterans.”
The moves came after the government’s concerns over the declining fertility rate in the country.