Women’s movements for the elimination of violence against women: lessons from oral history of the Law 4320 in Turkey

Preventing violence against women (VAW) is a prerequisite for sustainable development in the international arena and many actors around the world have tried to eliminate it. This study aims to elucidate the strategies that were successful and the circumstances in place when Law 4320 was adopted in Turkey, a law designed to prevent VAW, with the aim of providing broader lessons for developing successful policy-making strategies elsewhere. The 1980s were arguably a watershed moment in Turkey, when a few eminent women, who were at the forefront of the struggle, and came from diverse ideological backgrounds and different bodies, united for the purpose of combatting VAW. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten leading feminists who worked together and used creative and adaptive strategies to achieve progressive goals. The case study shows that the building of communication networks among feminists, and the lobbying of political bodies, were significant milestones in the history of policy making. However, the most difficult stages of the policy process were the implementation and evaluation stages.