İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and the Italian Consulate in İzmir collaborated on the red bench initiative, launched to raise awareness against violence and murder against women. On March 8, International Women's Day, Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay and his spouse Öznur Tugay, together with the Italian Consul in İzmir, Daniele Bianchi, painted the benches in Kültürpark red. Tugay emphasized that all segments of society must take responsibility for ending violence against women, stating, "The non-implementation of the Istanbul Convention and related laws is not a sign of good faith; this is an attitude that fuels violence and must change."
As part of International Women's Day on March 8, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and the Italian Consulate in İzmir collaborated to create a red bench awareness campaign in Kültürpark. This symbolic initiative, launched in Italy to raise awareness on violence against women and femicide, uses benches painted red to commemorate women who lost their lives due to violence and to convey a message of solidarity in public spaces. In an initiative that eventually evolved into an international awareness campaign, Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Cemil Tugay and his spouse Öznur Tugay, along with the Italian Consul in İzmir, Daniele Bianchi, painted two benches red to send a message against violence against women. Deputy Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Zafer Levent Yıldır, Deputy Secretary General of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Prof. Dr. Pınar Okyay, and citizens attended the program.

 “It is necessary for everyone to fulfill their responsibility”.
Touching upon the history of March 8, International Women's Day, Mayor Tugay stated that in many parts of the world, women are still subjected to discrimination, and their freedoms and labor are restricted. Noting that women are more affected by violence and suffer more in disaster situations, Tugay emphasized that violence is not only an individual problem but also a societal and global one. Stating that local administrations should examine the causes of violence in the city and take precautions, Tugay said, “However, the entire society must take responsibility in this matter; everyone needs to fulfill their responsibility”

He reminded Istanbul Convention
Stating that İzmir is one of the cities where women are relatively freer and safer, Mayor Tugay said this is not enough. He stated the fact that other cities or countries are in a worse situation cannot be a measure, and emphasized that the struggle women wage for their rights, freedoms, and safety is important, but the problem cannot be solved solely through women's efforts. Stating that decisive legal regulations are needed to stop violence against women and femicides, Tugay said, “To cite mitigating circumstances in femicides or violence against women is to be complicit in that crime. This must absolutely end. The non-implementation of Istanbul Convention and related laws is not a sign of good faith. This situation is practically an attitude that fuels violence and must change.” 
 
 “We can never, ever accept this”
Emphasizing that the fight against violence should continue not only on March 8 but every day of the year, Mayor Tugay stated that while awareness events are concentrated today, this struggle should continue 365 days a year. Stating that both women and men should take a clear stance against inequality and violence against women, Tugay said that this is a problem to be actively fought against, not merely observed. Expressing that İzmir is an enlightened and combative city, Tugay said, “İzmir is a pioneering city in terms of women's rights and freedoms. However, we can never, ever accept even one woman being subjected to violence. As a municipality, we are always ready to fulfill our responsibility for a stronger struggle.”

“This bench should be changed to a pristine white color.”
Stating that they have carried out many joint projects in İzmir with the Italian Consul in İzmir, Daniele Bianchi, Mayor Tugay said that they implemented the red bench application within the scope of this cooperation. Tugay stated that the red bench is a symbolic application that commemorates women who lost their lives due to violence, and added, “Actually, the color of this bench should be changed, it should be changed to a pristine white color. We should be among the cities that can remove red benches, not just have them. I thank Italy and Daniele Bianchi for initiating this symbolic application. Let us live in a world where women are not subjected to violence, let us not leave this to future generations. I also wholeheartedly congratulate all women who bravely fight for women's rights”.

 “A Symbol of the Fight Against Violence and Discrimination”
Consul of Italy in İzmir, Daniele Bianchi also thanked İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and Mayor Tugay for their sensitivity to the initiative. Stating that the red bench symbolizes the absence of women who lost their lives in femicides, Bianchi said, “The red bench is a symbol of the fight against all forms of violence and discrimination. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs also attaches great importance to this issue and is taking initiatives to have this symbol in every city. This actually means saying ‘no’ to all forms of violence. We have taken an important step with this initiative. I thank everyone who participated in our event and all the women.”

Benches Were Painted Red
Following the speeches, Mayor Tugay, his spouse Öznur Tugay, and Daniele Bianchi painted the bench red. Women in İzmir also participated in the awareness campaign, sending a message against violence against women. At the end of the program, Mayor Tugay and his spouse Öznur Tugay chatted with the women and took souvenir photos. A QR code is also located next to the two red benches placed in the area. When the code is scanned, the message is seen as: “The red bench is a symbol of the void left in society by a woman who was murdered. No to violence against women. Painted by women in collaboration with the Italian Consulate in İzmir and İzmir Metropolitan Municipality in memory of International Women's Day, March”.

Diğer Haberler

Tüm Haberleri Gör