The third International Gender Equality Prize has been awarded to We Will Stop Femicides Platform.
The prime minister of Finland, Sanna Marin said in her statement for the 2021 International Gender Equality Award, “We Will Stop Femicides Platform, very well represents the spirit of the Istanbul Convention.”
Finland’s International Gender Equality Prize has been granted to Turkey’s We Will Stop Femicides Platform this year.
“Promoting gender equality worldwide requires effective actions and determined work. The International Gender Equality Prize recognizes and raises awareness of this work and also contributes to the promotion of gender equality globally,” says Sanna Marin. The World Economic Forum index shows Finland is the world’s second-best country for gender equality.
“With this prize, we showcase the role of gender equality as a cornerstone of sustainable development, but also how much work still needs to be done,” says Thomas Blomqvist, Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality.
Platform General Representative Gülsüm Kav and Secretary General Fidan Ataselim received the prize from Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin. The platform has announced the prize on its social media platform. Thanking Finland, it has said, “This prize belongs to all women.”
Marin presented the EUR 300,000 prize to Gülsüm Önal, Founder, President and General Representative of the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, and Fidan Ataselim, Founder and Secretary General of the organisation, at a prize gala in Tampere on 22 November 2021.
It received PEN Duygu Asena Award
The We Will Stop Femicide Platform has been working to stop femicide and ensure women’s protection from violence since 2010. The Platform provides legal assistance to women who want to be safe from violence, is involved in cases of violence against women and femicide with its lawyers and representatives, supports the families of murdered women, and advocates for changes to legislation to protect women.
The Platform’s actions have made penalty reductions more difficult to obtain and led to deterrent sentences.
“We have done what has needed to be done and what everyone should do. The fact that the fight in our country has been seen by the international community gives us great strength and happiness. The award coming from a country like Finland that promotes women’s rights is also a source of pride for us,” say Gülsüm Önal and Fidan Ataselim from the We Will Stop Femicide Platform.
We Will Stop Femicides Platform received the PEN Duygu Asena Award in 2020. Last year, the platform’s general representative Gülsüm Kav was also on the 100 women list of the BBC.