“No Excuse” Campaign to End Gender-Based Violence

Amal Center for Advocacy and Healing launched a comprehensive awareness campaign titled “No Excuse”, to confront all forms of gender-based violence and expose the false justifications that normalize abuse under labels such as “jealousy,” “honor,” or “tradition.” The campaign is rooted in empowering survivors, spreading legal knowledge, and mobilizing communities to stand with victims and stop the crime.

Objectives

• Raise awareness about different forms of violence: physical, psychological and emotional, sexual, economic, and digital.
• Dismantle the culture of justifying violence, and reject narratives that blame or silence survivors.
• Provide safe pathways of support: psychosocial response, legal protection, and trusted reporting channels.
• Strengthen the role of the community: listening without judgment, believing survivors, and encouraging them to seek help.

Campaign Messages

Violence is neither fate nor “understandable behavior”; it is a crime without justification. Don’t excuse it. Don’t silence it. Support and report.

• Violence is not only physical; it includes threats, insults, isolation, and control.
• Replace blame with supportive actions: believe the story, listen without judgment, and encourage seeking help.
• Asking for psychological support is a brave step toward healing, not a sign of weakness.

Sub-Campaigns

1) “My Childhood is Sacred” — Ending Child Marriage

Awareness materials highlight the severe health, social, and economic risks of early marriage: Higher risk of maternal death during childbirth. Increased infant mortality rates. Fewer opportunities for education, employment, and income in the future. The messages emphasize that early marriage is not “protection,” but a deprivation of childhood and rights. The campaign calls on communities to reject the social and economic pressures that perpetuate this crime.

2) “My Digital Safety is My Right” — Combating Cybercrime and Digital Violence

Digital violence leaves invisible scars: 35% reported feelings of sadness, depression, and isolation. 12% experienced suicidal thoughts. 30% lost trust in people around them. The campaign also explains relevant penalties under Turkish law: Online harassment: 3 months–2 years imprisonment, with possible account suspension. Sharing images without consent: 1–3 years imprisonment, increasing to 5 years if shared publicly. Online extortion: 6 months–2 years imprisonment, rising to 5 years if the aim is financial or sexual. The message is clear: Report it and seek legal support.

Psychological Impact and the Path to Healing

Violence can cause chronic anxiety, trauma, deep sadness and depression, social withdrawal, low self-esteem, and sleep disturbances. But healing is possible and every survivor deserves it: Speak when you are ready. Ask for help without shame. Allow yourself the space to heal. Live free of fear and guilt.

Protection and Referral Services

• Police: 155
• Ambulance: 112
• Social Services: 183
• Domestic Violence Hotline: 1919
• Amal Center Case Management Hotline: +90 507 383 39 79

What Can the Community Do?

• Believe survivors and listen without judgment.
• Encourage reporting and provide safe accompaniment to specialized services.
• Never justify violence under any pretext, and help spread awareness in your community.