What was done with women?
Between March 1 and April 10, Our Voice Matters Association organized women's circles in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, engaging in conversations with young girls and women about post-disaster menstrual care needs and practices, menstrual irregularities, increased pains, and hygiene. The association worked to create a safe space for women's solidarity in temporary shelter areas in accredited and unaccredited tent cities.
Menstrual care kits were distributed to girls and women affected by the earthquake. The association also conducted needs and risk analysis through conversations in the safe area.
Our Voice Matters Association, working with women and young girls affected by the earthquake, shared its observations and recommendations regarding men in the earthquake-affected region in the report.
Creating safe spaces for men to share their emotions is necessary.
While observing that there is very little psychosocial work specifically targeting men in the field, the association suggested that "creating safe spaces for men to share their feelings, especially on topics like mourning, uncertainty, and a sense of helplessness, is crucial as a protective and preventive measure."
The report emphasized the need for organizations working on masculinity, especially in the field of psychosocial support, to operate much more effectively in the region.
The report also mentioned that all camp leaders of international and Turkey-based non-governmental organizations were male and observed a lack of sufficient knowledge about menstrual care among them.
To read the full report, click here.