Women’s Perspectives on Achievements, Challenges and Gaps in VAW Policy and Implementation in Turkey Fatma Umut Be şpınar1, Merve Kaya2 1Middle East Technical University, Turkiye; 2Ankara University, Turkiye This presentation is based on a national-level research project that aims to evaluate policies and practices in combating violence against women through a gap analysis method to identify the achievements, obstacles, and gaps in policies and practices to combat VAW in Turkey. Based on the results of our research, this presentation will highlight the experiences of women who have been subjected to domestic violence. It adopts the feminist model, which recognizes women’s strength, resilience, and agency, and seeks to achieve the goals of women’s empowerment and self-determination. In this context, the main findings of qualitative data obtained from semi-structured in-depth interviews with 36 women in 12 provinces of NUTS-1 statistical regions of Turkey are evaluated. The research includes women from diverse backgrounds, but a common characteristic of the participants is that they have experienced violence within their nuclear family, extended family, and intimate relationships. According to the main findings of the interviews, there is a need to raise awareness of the current gender inequality, provide social and economic support to women, and revise existing policies not only in response to violence but also with a preventive focus on violence. These findings, presented from the perspective of women who have experienced violence, will contribute to the improvement of existing policies and services related to combating VAW in Turkey, taking into account the needs and characteristics of these women. It is emphasized that the perspectives of these three prominent institutions – the family, the state, and women’s NGOs – in preventing and combating violence are far from developing a comprehensive approach to VAW without taking into account women’s experiences.

F. U. Beşpınar Akgüner and M. Kaya, “Women’s Perspectives on Achievements, Challenges and Gaps in VAW Policy and Implementation in Turkey Fatma Umut Be şpınar1, Merve Kaya2 1Middle East Technical University, Turkiye; 2Ankara University, Turkiye This presentation is based on a national-level research project that aims to evaluate policies and practices in combating violence against women through a gap analysis method to identify the achievements, obstacles, and gaps in policies and practices to combat VAW in Turkey. Based on the results of our research, this presentation will highlight the experiences of women who have been subjected to domestic violence. It adopts the feminist model, which recognizes women’s strength, resilience, and agency, and seeks to achieve the goals of women’s empowerment and self-determination. In this context, the main findings of qualitative data obtained from semi-structured in-depth interviews with 36 women in 12 provinces of NUTS-1 statistical regions of Turkey are evaluated. The research includes women from diverse backgrounds, but a common characteristic of the participants is that they have experienced violence within their nuclear family, extended family, and intimate relationships. According to the main findings of the interviews, there is a need to raise awareness of the current gender inequality, provide social and economic support to women, and revise existing policies not only in response to violence but also with a preventive focus on violence. These findings, presented from the perspective of women who have experienced violence, will contribute to the improvement of existing policies and services related to combating VAW in Turkey, taking into account the needs and characteristics of these women. It is emphasized that the perspectives of these three prominent institutions – the family, the state, and women’s NGOs – in preventing and combating violence are far from developing a comprehensive approach to VAW without taking into account women’s experiences.,” presented at the 16th Conference of the European Sociological Association, Porto, Portekiz, 2024, Accessed: 00, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.europeansociology.org/publications/esa-conference-abstract-books.