An Update from the Association for Struggle Against Sexual Violence

Illustrator: Sebnem Artline

A group of feminist activists came together 10 years ago with a queer feminist and intersectional approach to make sexual violence more visible, talked about, and discussed. During these 10 years, many projects turned into sustainable programs, the team expanded, different organizational structures were experienced and institutional mechanisms were developed for a more resilient organization. With its policy documents, directives, original content, and practices prepared during the institutionalization process, CŞMD has been shown as an example among rights-based organizations. 

However, as of the second half of 2024, our association entered a critically challenging period defined as a “crisis” due to unexpectedly cut financial support.  In the past 6 months, after long hours of team meetings and discussions, recommendations from our institutional partners, and new applications, an evaluation was made and some decisions were taken.  We see it as our responsibility towards all our stakeholders and followers to provide this information about our current situation, the decisions we had to take, and how 2025 will be shaped for us.

The destructive changes and developments in gender equality policies have brought the current resource constraints of rights-based civil society organizations working in this field on a global scale and in Turkey to the point of financial crises and even closure.  As a result of these developments, our association had to decide to downsize and organize a new structure by the end of 2024. A restructuring process with difficult decisions, including the dismissal of many valuable companions, awaits us. We are sorry for our friends who will be leaving their jobs as of January. We thank and feel grateful to everyone whose path has passed through CŞMD so far, who has made direct or indirect contributions to the association and the struggle against sexual violence, and who has worked as a volunteer or employee.

We are sad; but hopeful for the future, for individual and collective solidarity, and for the struggle and resistance we have organized together with civil society organizations…

In the coming years, when anti-gender and pro-family discourses are on the rise globally and the political atmosphere where individual freedoms and choices are under threat will further challenge our working and struggling conditions, we want you to know that we will not lose hope for our sustainability and will continue to struggle by developing new strategies. Although sexual violence is a specific category, contrary to popular belief, it is a very broad and multi-layered issue. We hope that there will be many more new associations and groups working on specific types of sexualized violence in the future. We know that sexual violence, like sexuality, continues to be taboo and we believe that there is a need to continue working on this issue.

We would like to thank our civil society experts and stakeholders who shared their valuable ideas with us throughout this process, our institutional partners who support the decisions we have made to adapt to the current conditions, the emergency grant institutions who supported us in continuing our basic services, and our teammates who continue to struggle during this crisis despite the concerns created by the economic crisis we are in as a country, for their support and understanding.

We will spend January turning inward and resting a bit. If we remain silent, know that it is the silence of self-care and repair. Because collective care is a feminist issue. In 2025, we will continue to be here and break the silence by considering new needs, making self-assessments, and developing new strategies for alternative fundraising methods. Crises will not discourage us.

Happy 10th-anniversary CŞMD!