Feminist Work at Universities: CTS*** Units

Sexual violence is one of the most serious forms of violence against women and as such it is also the type that is hardest to unravel. Universities, being settings where large number of people work together for long periods of time, are also hierarchical institutions with a high probability of sexual violence. In Turkey special units for the prevention of sexual violence (CTS units) have been established at universities in the last decade. With regards to their founding objectives and goals as well as the essence and the methods of their work, these units can be seen as significant components
of feminist movement in Turkey. Nonetheless, they have rarely been the subject of a feminist inquiry, academic or not. In this study, based on interviews with eight representatives from different universities, I try to explore how CTS units relate to the feminist movement in Turkey and how the networks of support and solidarity are established between these units and other women’s groups within and outside the universities.