Don’t Let Femicides be Covered Up

Over the past few years, domestic violence and femicide rates have increased dramatically in Turkey. Despite the escalating issue, Turkey made the decision to withdraw from the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention and even considered repealing statute 6284, a law designed to prevent domestic violence against women.

Additionally, many femicide cases have been shrouded in suspicion, with 248 suspicious female deaths recorded in 2023 alone.

International Women’s Day saw marches and protests addressing these injustices, as women sought justice through various means. However, their voices were often silenced, and society began to normalize these tragic deaths.

TBWA\Istanbul and BirGün Newspaper joined forces to support human rights and the fight for women’s rights in Turkey.

On International Women’s Day, TBWA\Istanbul compiled all the previously published articles about suspicious female deaths from Birgün Newspaper, creating a one-page special edition archival print. The print featured a single message, a headline hard to ignore: Don’t let femicides be covered up! 

On the same day, the print was transformed into an ambient street installation, resembling a woman’s lifeless body covered with newspapers. As passersby shared images of the installation on social media, the issue gained widespread attention. Hundreds of people used their own Birgün Newspapers as protest banners during Women’s Day marches, turning the print into a symbol of the demonstrations.