Women Shelters as a Social Institution in Struggle against Violence

Violence against women is a social problem. While various public and private measures are taken to eradicate its existence, certain services are provided to protect women who have been already exposed to violence and to help them adopt a sustainable life thereafter through public and/or private institutions and organizations. Within this framework, "women's shelters" in Turkey provide temporary services to victims of violence against women by rescuing them from violence, solving psycho-social and economic problems and preparing them for a better future. In this context, the aim of the research is to determine the roles and functions of the shelters in the struggle against violence against women. Descriptive research design was used in the research. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 women staying in three shelters in Izmir province affiliated to the General Directorate on the Status of Women, Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services of the Republic of Turkey. The data obtained from these interviews were deciphered and analysed with MAXQDA 18 qualitative data analysis program. In the light of the data obtained from one-on-one interviews, seven main themes were revealed. These themes are as follows: (i) the nature of violence against women, (ii) causes of violence against women, (iii) the societal support to the women victims of violence, (iv) the role of a "women's shelter" in struggling violence against women, (v) conditions of the "women shelters", (vi) sustainable living of women post-shelter and (vii) further suggestions for the improvements of "women shelters".