The Cycle of Impunity and Structural Violence Against Women

On the same day, two young women were brutally killed in Turkey by a young man in a manner too horrific to detail here. This kind of tragedy is no longer an anomaly in our society. It has become distressingly frequent, and the root cause lies in a systemic culture of impunity. Perpetrators of violence, especially against women, often go unpunished. Even when women seek protection from authorities, their safety is jeopardized. They report their abusers to the police, only to have their personal information—such as their home addresses—disclosed to the very men they fear. This shocking breach of security perpetuates a cycle where women feel powerless to speak out.

This institutional betrayal reflects a profound indifference to the lives of women, and it perpetuates a cycle of silence and suffering. When the very systems designed to protect fail so egregiously, it sends a clear message to victims: they cannot trust the law to shield them. As a result, many women are forced to endure abuse in silence, fearing that seeking help will only lead to further violence.

This problem is not confined to the legal system; it is deeply ingrained in the fabric of society. From schools to workplaces, from the media to politics, patriarchal norms remain pervasive, subtly reinforcing the idea that women are secondary citizens whose rights and safety are negotiable. The socialization of gender roles often begins at a young age, where boys are taught dominance and entitlement, and girls are conditioned to be submissive and accommodating.

In this way, gendered violence is not an isolated incident committed by a single perpetrator—it is a reflection of a broader cultural problem. The systems of power operate through both overt and covert means, shaping behavior and reinforcing norms(Foucault, 1977). Gender violence is one such mechanism of control, upheld by a patriarchal society that condones or even encourages such actions through its passive complicity.

Impunity is not merely a legal failure; it is the product of a patriarchal system that normalizes violence. As Judith Butler (2004) argues in her seminal work Precarious Life, gendered violence is sustained by societal structures that devalue the lives of women. The invisibility of these acts of violence in the legal system mirrors their invisibility in the social fabric. For Butler, the state's failure to protect its citizens from gender-based violence underscores a larger failure to recognize women as full subjects of rights.

Furthermore, the problem extends beyond the law. It permeates everyday life through the subtle mechanisms of language and culture. Gendered jokes, casual misogyny, and the normalization of violence in media all contribute to a climate where violence against women is trivialized. Everyday language embeds power dynamics that privilege men and marginalize women(Ahmed, 2004). Sexist humor, often dismissed as harmless, reinforces these power structures by subtly endorsing patriarchal norms.

Television series in my county and films frequently portray women as objects of violence, conditioning viewers to accept these narratives as part of the natural order. These portrayals not only desensitize audiences to violence but also serve to legitimize it. The media plays a crucial role in shaping societal attitudes towards violence when women are consistently represented as victims, it reinforces a culture that views their suffering as inevitable(Hooks, 1994).

These cultural representations, combined with a legal system that fails to protect women, create a dangerous environment where violence is both excused and expected. Patriarchal society is not only a passive bystander but an active participant in the violence against women. The structures of power—whether legal, social, or cultural—work together to create a system that enables violence and shields its perpetrators.

Ultimately, addressing the epidemic of gender-based violence requires a fundamental shift in how we understand and respond to these acts. It involves recognizing the interconnections between law, culture, and everyday language, and dismantling the patriarchal structures that perpetuate impunity. As Audre Lorde (1984) eloquently reminds us in Sister Outsider, "The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." It is not enough to simply reform existing systems; we must create new frameworks of justice that prioritize the lives and safety of women.

I am deeply sad, like all the women and all the people in my country. We will become stronger together, we will get rid of our burdens together and become lighter, we will live together!

References:

Ahmed, S. (2004). The Cultural Politics of Emotion. Edinburgh University Press.

Butler, J. (2004). Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence. Verso Books.

Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage Books.

Hooks, b. (1994). Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations. Routledge.

Lorde, A. (1984). Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Crossing Press.