On 10 December, the world returns to a fundamental principle enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Although this sentence sounds simple, its implementation has always been complex. Human rights are not something given, nor something that exists on its own—they exist only if we build them together, safeguard them, and ensure they apply to everyone.

Within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November–10 December), we are reminded that rights are not just formal statements on paper, but a precondition for lives free from fear, discrimination, and invisibility. We are also reminded that gender-based violence does not affect only women—although women and girls are disproportionately impacted—but also everyone who challenges or refuses to conform to the strict binary of gender norms.

That is why it is important to say this clearly: trans and gender-diverse people are not a “separate issue.” They are an integral part of the same struggle for gender justice, dignity, and human rights.

When Documents Become a Matter of Safety

In our country, the human rights of trans people remain among the most neglected. Institutional realities show that many trans people still live without the basic legal and social mechanisms that would allow them to live safely and with dignity.

One of the most critical issues is that gender identity is not clearly or transparently recognized by the state. Procedures for legal gender recognition are not regulated; they are left to administrative discretion and, in practice, to individual interpretation. This means that many trans people cannot change their personal documents—directly exposing them to discrimination in employment, access to healthcare, education, and even in everyday tasks such as receiving mail or using public services.

These administrative gaps are not a technical detail. They create conditions that make trans people systemically vulnerable—both institutionally and in private life. This is precisely where it becomes clear that gender-based violence is not limited to physical or domestic violence. It is also structural, quiet violence that comes from non-recognition, neglect, and stigmatization.

The Shared Struggle of Women and the Trans Community

The marginalization of trans people does not happen separately from the struggles women face. On the contrary, women—especially those experiencing economic precarity, discrimination, or violence—and trans people are subjected to the same systems of social expectations, control, and gender discipline. They confront the same structures that insist on strict gender roles and that draw boundaries around who is allowed to be visible, who is believed, and who deserves protection.

This is why it is essential to emphasize: supporting trans people is not a departure from the struggle for women’s rights. It is a continuation of the same fight for safety, bodily autonomy, gender freedom, and lives free from violence.

10 December as a Shared Reminder

On 10 December, this connection becomes even more important. Human rights are not divided into categories. Gender-based violence does not disappear if we ignore those who experience it most intensely.

If we truly want to speak about a society that respects human rights, we must recognize that the rights of trans people are part of the same essential struggle: to create conditions in which every person—regardless of gender, identity, or expression—can live freely, safely, and with dignity.