KADEM Launches “All Together Against Violence” Campaign to Stop Femicide
Kenan İmirzalıoğlu and Fulya Öztürk Join the “25 November” Campaign
KADEM: “ALL TOGETHER AGAINST VIOLENCE TOWARD WOMEN”
KADEM has launched a new campaign titled “All Together Against Violence Toward Women” on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, November 25th, calling on all segments of society to unite against violence. The public service announcement (PSA) features renowned actor Kenan Imirzalıoğlu, and is supported by Imirzalıoğlu and his wife Sinem Kobal, journalist Fulya Öztürk, footballer Mesut Özil, and many other prominent public figures.
According to the United Nations, more than 50,000 women are killed worldwide every year. For 12 years, the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) has worked to build a just and safe society where women can live with dignity. This year, KADEM once again takes a significant step with a campaign prepared for the “25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.”
The campaign was introduced at an event attended by KADEM Board of Trustees Chair Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, KADEM Chair Atty. Dr. Canan Sarı, the campaign’s face Kenan Imirzalıoğlu, journalist Fulya Öztürk, academics, civil society representatives, media members, celebrities, and many invited guests.
Using the slogan “All Together Against Violence,” the campaign urges society to “be aware” and “take action” against all forms of violence. The campaign highlights orange dots—the UN’s official color for the fight against violence toward women. Specially designed for the campaign, these Orange Dots symbolize the collective will to say “stop” to violence, representing a unified societal stance.
Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar: “Where society directs its gaze, that is what changes.”
Speaking at the launch event held at Atatürk Cultural Center, Bayraktar emphasized that violence against women is an issue not only for institutions but for the entire nation. She stated:
“By saying ‘all together,’ we call on everyone to take responsibility and initiative in the fight against violence against women—to not remain indifferent and to take action. State institutions, local governments, legal professionals, healthcare workers, teachers, the media, the business world, the arts and culture community, athletes, civil society, families, and of course individuals.
We invite everyone…
To hear the cry of a neighbor… to tell a woman ‘you are not alone’… to learn and teach about KADES, to share the Alo 183 hotline, to challenge language that normalizes violence, to teach children about respect and boundaries, and to encourage responsible media behavior!”
Bayraktar stressed that the Orange Dot is not just a symbol but a shared commitment:
“Orange is a collective call from everyone who says, ‘I am part of this struggle; I will not remain silent.’ Through the orange badge we wear, any orange item we carry, or every orange dot we share on social media, we will keep saying: ‘I am part of this struggle. I will not remain silent. I will not turn a blind eye.’”
“Only women’s associations stood with us”
“My daughter was brutally murdered by someone she didn’t know, simply because she was a woman. Families like ours are direct victims of violence against women, and our only struggle is to prevent others from experiencing the pain we have endured.”
Also present was Sıddık Gültekin, father of Pınar Gültekin, who in 2020 was strangled, burned, encased in concrete, and disposed of in a river in Muğla. He said:
“I come from a large tribe, yet during this process, only women’s associations stood with me. I thank all women’s associations, especially KADEM, for their support.”
KADEM’s PSA Calls Out to Society: “Together, we can stand against violence”
The PSA emphasizes that violence against women impacts all segments of society—especially children—and that society as a whole rejects this violence. It plays a key role in spreading the message “Together, we can stand against violence.”
The PSA will be broadcast throughout the year on TV, digital platforms, and outdoor screens. Campaign materials will be distributed nationwide through KADEM’s 56 representative offices.
The orange-dot-shaped badges featured in the PSA will also be distributed across Türkiye throughout the year, symbolizing the collective stance of those who say, “I stand against violence toward women.”
The PSA begins with a news announcement by Fulya Öztürk, followed by scenes showing the reactions of a doctor, a police officer, and children who lost their mothers to femicide. The imam leading the funeral prayer quotes the verse: “Whoever saves a life, it is as if he has saved all mankind,” highlighting the importance of fighting femicide.
At the end of the film, Kenan Imirzalıoğlu appears on screen wearing an orange badge and delivering the message: “Together, we can stand against violence.”
Through the “All Together Against Violence” campaign, KADEM invites all segments of society to join a united struggle for a safe and just future free from violence against women, emphasizing that: “Change is possible when we end silence, strengthen solidarity, and raise awareness.”
KADEM: A Pioneer in the Fight Against Violence for 12 Years
Since its founding on March 8, 2013, KADEM has implemented educational programs, awareness initiatives, and national campaigns across Türkiye to combat violence. Its past campaigns include:
- “If You Are There, There Is No Place for Violence”
- “Don’t Turn a Blind Eye to Violence”
- “You Have No Right to Violence”
- “There Is No Excuse for Violence”
- “Hold On to the Law (6284 Awareness)”
- “A Nonviolent Society, a Safe Future”
- “Don’t Be a Spectator to Violence (The Language of Violence in the Media)”
Through its work, both nationally and internationally, KADEM continues to stress that no form of violence is small or insignificant, and that every act of violence becomes the next link in the chain.
