Gender refers to the social construction of categories of woman and man (as well as the binary gender system) and further articulates that gender involves relations of hierarchy and power. The category of gender also underlines that different roles and responsibilities attributed to different genders based on the presumption that men are superior are products of historical, social, and geographical conditions.

Gender Identity refers to the way one defines and experiences her/his/their own gender regardless of its congruence with one’s assigned gender at birth. Gender identity includes how a person defines their body and other gender expressions such as clothing, behavior, etc.

Gender impact assessment is an evaluation, assessment, or analysis of structures, policies, and actions that makes it possible to identify whether the given decision decreases, perpetuates, or intensifies gender inequalities.

Gender norms/stereotypes refer to presumed and imposed gender norms according to which women and men are expected to conduct their behavior.

Gender gap refers to the fact that women receive lower wages than men.

Gender equality refers to the state of equal access to opportunities, equal treatment, equal conditions, equal worth, equal distribution of resources, as well as freedom, diversity, and plurality for all genders.

Gender-based violence refers to the verbal or physical assault or discrimination directed at an individual or a group based on their gender and/or sexual orientation. Insults, threats, humiliation, and bullying that a person faces on account of their gender are regarded as instances of gender-based violence.

Violence against women refers to violence committed against women particularly because of their gender as well as to all kinds of attitudes and behaviors (including those that are defined as violence in the Law No. 6284) that can be classified under gender-based discrimination and that result in human rights violations. Femicides are the most visible form of violence against women. Male violence against women can include multiple forms of violence.

Sexual violence refers to all forms of acts or threats of sexual nature that take place without one’s consent. Sexual violence includes rape, sexual abuse and harassment, forced prostitution, and sexual exploitation. This type of violence can occur in marriages if one of the spouses does not give consent to sexual activity.

Sexual harassment refers to all behaviors of sexual nature –carried out verbally, through body language or other communication tools– that are not based on one’s consent and violate one’s sexual freedom. Catcalling, unsolicited sexual or lewd conversations, and sending sexually suggestive communications in any format constitute instances of sexual harassment.

Sexual assault refers to non-consensual physical contact that violates one’s bodily integrity and sexual inviolability. According to the Turkish Criminal Code “penetration of a body via an organ or an object” 7 has been defined as an aggravated cause for increasing penalty in sexual assault cases. Marital sexual assault is also defined as a crime.

Sexual exploitation is defined as an actual or attempted abuse of someone’s position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust to obtain sexual favors. It can take the form of exploiting the person by offering money or other social and/or political advantages.

Homophobia refers to prejudices and hatred against LGBTI+s. It includes all forms of discourse and action that humiliate, insult, or scorn LGBTI+s and homosexuality.

Transphobia refers to prejudices and hatred against trans women, trans men and all gender identities placed under the category of trans. It includes all forms of discourse and action that humiliate, insult, or scorn trans people and transsexuality. Homophobia and transphobia are intricately linked to hate speeches and hate crimes. It is not an individual or psychological fear but a social phenomenon that is based on and constantly reproduces social hierarchies.

Date violence is the phenomenon of one person dominating, controlling, or exerting power over the other in marriage or romantic partnerships. Date violence may include physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and digital violence in a relationship.

Digital violence refers to unsolicited, disturbing, discriminatory and/or violent behaviors that are carried out via internet tools and/or social media. Sharing one’s photos without their permission or threatening to do so, sending sexually explicit photos or messages, checking a one’s social media accounts without their permission, wielding power over someone else using social media are examples of digital violence.

Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person that causes feelings of fear and insecurity. The forms of stalking may include not only physical behaviors such as crossing someone’s path but also constantly disturbing, harassing, and chasing someone through social media and/or phone. Law No. 6284 also includes protection from stalking.

Sexism involves expressions and behaviors that humiliate, scorn, or render secondary a sex. Sexist jokes, wording, expressions are common examples of sexism. Expressions such as “like a man”, “like a girl” etc. are the most commonly used phrases.

Retaliation is harassment in multiple forms to get revenge or to prevent the one who is exposed to harassment from behaving in a certain way again. Retaliation involves, explicitly or implicitly, making one’s work and education life difficult with the intention of seeking revenge either because the person refuses sexual or emotional advances or wants to issue a complaint about being harassed. Dismissal from work or the threat of dismissal, assignment to unwanted tasks, salary cut are examples of retaliation aimed at rendering one silent.

Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment occurs when an employee’s supervisor, manager or employer uses their authority to suggest that an employee will be able to keep their job or given benefits in exchange for some sort of sexual favor and/or when an employee’s supervisor, manager or employer threatens to fire or otherwise reprimand an employee for refusing to comply with the demand of engaging in some type of sexual behavior.

Insinuation of interest covers all kinds of behaviors which are not overtly sexual but impart or suggest a sexual interest towards a woman and people of any genders in an indirect manner. Insisting on meeting after work, making phone calls or sending emails to talk about off the job topics, asking questions or commenting on the private life of a woman, using phrases such as “honey”, “love”, etc., or making compliments that insinuate interest in a woman are common examples. It may be addressed within the sphere of sexual harassment.

Mobbing is defined as a form of psychological abuse carried through bullying, excluding, or isolating an employee at a workplace. Sabotaging a person’s work, circulating rumors and disinformation about a person, discrediting a person, isolating a person, and bullying through email or phone messages are different forms of mobbing.

Person exposed to violence, is an expression which is used in place of terms such as victim which fixes the person who have been exposed to violence in a disempowered position. In applications involving violence, applicant or complainant can also be used.

Person who uses violence or perpetrator are used to indicate that while pointing at a person the focus is on the issue of using violence. Since terms such as ignorant, pervert, or a person with anger management problems, etc. cannot be the cause of violence, it is not appropriate to use these expressions.

Whistleblower is a person who has not been personally exposed or affected by violence, abuse, etc. but reports the act to the relevant authorities.

Bystander intervention is recognizing a potentially harmful situation involving violence, abuse, etc. and choosing to intervene/respond in a way that would stop the interaction or ensure the necessary actions to be taken.