Türkiye marks International Women's Day

Cities across Türkiye witnessed a large number of events and marches marking International Women's Day on March 8, with the country honoring strong women achieving numerous successes in various fields, while also seeking ways to address the escalating issue of femicide.

Chanting slogans and carrying banners calling for an end to femicides, thousands of women took to the streets in well-attended organization notably in Istanbul, the capital Ankara and the western province of İzmir. Some participants carried photos of victims. Another group gifted flowers to women passing through the bustling streets throughout the day.

During the week, several women's rights organizations held panels to disseminate awareness about domestic violence, while in some provinces, female law enforcement officers toured rural areas to provide awareness training on violence against women.

At least 403 women were killed in Türkiye last year, most of them by current or former spouses and other men close to them, according to the We Will Stop Femicides Platform.

So far this year 71 women have been killed in the country, including seven on Feb. 27 — the highest known number of such killings there on a single day.

Simultaneously, panels in various sectors advocated for the amplification of women's roles in traditionally male-dominated fields, with the Foreign Ministry organizing a panel on the influence of women in diplomacy.

"We take pride in all the women who empower Türkiye. These are the women who rebuild society with their labor, creations and ideas," said Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş.

"They are the backbone of our civilization with their loyalty, faith and determination. Türkiye will be strengthened with these...