Turkish men have taken a stand with a simple, unconventional approach to combating violence against women by wearing miniskirts.
Men in short skirts protested on the streets of Istanbul over the weekend and have begun sharing photos on social media to highlight the brutal murder of 20-year-old student Ozgecan Aslan who was killed after resisting an attempted rape. The case has sparked debate and dialogue on violence against women in Turkey.
Aslan was the last passenger on a minibus on Feb. 11, when her driver veered off his route and beat her with an iron pipe after she fought off his attempted rape, killing her and then burning her body. The case has ignited outrage across the country.
Using the hashtag #ozgecanicinminietekgiy, which roughly translates as “wear a miniskirt for Ozgecan,” Turkish men have begun posting images of themselves wearing mini skirts on social media. Others have posted messages of support for Turkish women.
The push comes after demonstrations in Turkey last week and this weekend over her death, and a campaign by Turkish women to have their voices heard following the shocking attack.
On Saturday,men marched in Istanbul wearing skirts.
The country has taken in an unusual step in addressing the shocking murder that has rocked the nation. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called violence against women in the country a “bleeding wound.”
The campaign has seen support globally, even getting a high-profile message of support from actress Emma Watson, who tweeted using the hashtag on Sunday.
GO TURKISH MEN!!! 👍 http://t.co/m9ohs9lF4h #ozgecanicinminietekgiy
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) February 22, 2015
