Turkey was far ahead of its time when it passed a number of laws on gender equality in the 1920s and 1930s, granting women the right to vote among other things. Many women in Western countries wondered then why they were worth less than women in Turkey.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, started a radical project of secularization and westernization nearly a century ago that liberated women from Islamic law and put them at the center of social life. Polygamy was banned and women were granted the right to divorce, to custody, to education and to inheritance. After being released from the harem, women were permitted to enter ballrooms and dance in public with men. Even within his own family, Atatürk set an example of integration when Sabiha Gökçen, one of his adopted daughters, became the first female fighter pilot in history in 1937. Five decades later, in 1983, Turkey legalised abortion, once again ahead of many Western democracies.
The foundation for women’s liberation was established in the Ottoman Empire a century earlier with a number of unexpected changes to inheritance and education law, despite orientalist stereotypes of Turkey in the West and the romanticized image of the Ottoman Empire evoked by today’s conservative and religious factions in Turkey.
Following in that tradition, Turkey hosted the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention in 2011 and signed the first legally binding agreement against domestic abuse and violence against women, regardless of sexual orientation (the Convention includes safeguards for LGBTI individuals). The agreement was based on prevention, protection, taxation, and integrated policies, making Turkey the first of 45 mostly European countries to do so. Ankara ratified the Convention and passed its own corresponding Law 6284 in 2012.
Turkey, a country straddling the border of Europe and Asia, presents a complex picture when it comes to women’s rights and treatment. While the country boasts progressive laws and a history of female political participation, the reality on the ground often paints a different picture, with women facing challenges ranging from domestic violence to societal expectations.
A Glimmer of Equality: Legal Framework and Political Participation
On paper, Turkey appears to be a champion of women’s rights. The country granted women full political participation rights, including voting and running for office, as early as 1930. Article 10 of the Turkish Constitution explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sex. These legal frameworks lay a strong foundation for gender equality.
The Harsh Reality: Domestic Violence and Societal Pressures
However, the legal framework often fails to translate into reality. Domestic violence remains a significant issue in Turkey, with a staggering 40% of women reporting experiencing physical and/or sexual violence during their lives. Femicides, the killing of women due to their gender, are tragically common, with hundreds of women losing their lives each year at the hands of their partners or ex-partners.
The Istanbul Convention, a landmark international treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women, was signed by Turkey in 2011. However, the country’s withdrawal from the convention in 2021 sent shockwaves through the international community and raised concerns about the government’s commitment to protecting women.
Beyond violence, women in Turkey also face societal pressures and expectations that can limit their choices and opportunities. Traditional gender roles often confine women to the domestic sphere, with the burden of childcare and housework falling disproportionately on them. This can hinder their access to education, employment, and economic independence.
Fighting for Change: The Role of Women’s Organizations and International Advocacy
Despite the challenges, there is a growing movement in Turkey advocating for women’s rights and challenging the status quo. Women’s organizations play a crucial role in raising awareness, providing support to victims of violence, and lobbying for policy changes.
International organizations like Human Rights Watch also play a vital role in monitoring the situation in Turkey and holding the government accountable for its commitments to women’s rights. Their reports and advocacy efforts help to shine a light on the issues faced by women and push for meaningful reforms.
Moving Forward: A Call for Action
The situation for women in Turkey is complex and constantly evolving. While there have been significant strides towards gender equality, the country still has a long way to go. Addressing domestic violence, upholding the Istanbul Convention, and challenging societal norms are crucial steps towards creating a truly equal and safe society for women in Turkey.
Additional Resources:
- Human Rights Watch Report: Combatting Domestic Violence in Turkey: The Deadly Impact of Failure to Protect
- International TEFL Academy Blog: Adjusting to Turkish Life: An American Woman in Ankara
- Turkish Constitution: Article 10
- Istanbul Convention: Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Is Turkey a safe country for women?
The safety of women in Turkey varies depending on factors such as location, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle. While some women may experience no issues, others face significant risks, including domestic violence, harassment, and discrimination.
- What is the government doing to address violence against women?
The Turkish government has taken some steps to address violence against women, such as enacting laws against domestic violence and establishing shelters for victims. However, critics argue that these measures are not enough and that the government needs to do more to enforce existing laws, provide adequate support services, and change societal attitudes.
- What can I do to help?
There are many ways to support women in Turkey. You can donate to organizations working to protect women’s rights, raise awareness about the issue, and advocate for policy changes. You can also support Turkish women-owned businesses and travel responsibly in Turkey.
An increase in gender-based violence
The deterioration of women’s rights has become increasingly evident. “Especially over the last 15 years. Women have fought for decades before gaining rights including the ability to vote, the right to vote in elections (passive suffrage), the right to own property, the right to an education, and the ability to work. However, women are currently being compelled to return to the private sphere once more, according to KA President Nuray Karaoğlu. DER.
Her organisation supports female candidates seeking political office. The women in the group intentionally chose the name Kader, which translates to “destiny” from Turkish, with the intention of writing their own future. KA. “What is feminism?” was the first question DER asked in a recent street survey. The responses they received ranged from ignorant to mocking, with some calling it “misogyny,” “spinsters who ask for rights because they can’t take care of themselves,” and “the rights being demanded by strange women who live with cats.” ”.
Feminist organizations anticipate a sustained rise in violence against women and worry that leaving the Istanbul Convention will also put law 6284 in jeopardy. Öz claims that as soon as the treaty was pulled out, the repercussions became evident, with some police departments and courts dismissing complaints from victims of gender-based violence.
When Turkey’s Council of Judges and Prosecutors decided in March that restraining orders under Law 6284 must be evaluated in a way that does not endanger the perpetrator’s health, leaving battered women unprotected in the middle of a pandemic and clearly violating the aforementioned law, there were hints that the law might eventually be repealed.
As per the Justice Ministry, there was a 1,400% surge in female homicides from 66 to 953 between the years 2002 and 2009. Additionally, 42% of Turkish women between the ages of 15 and 60 reported having experienced physical or sexual abuse at the hands of their spouses or partners, according to a 2009 study.
The 2021 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Turkey 133 out of 156 countries.
Recent years have seen an average of 400 femicides a year. In 2018, 440 women were murdered, a quarter at the hands of their husbands. In 2019, the number was 474, the highest in a decade. Most of the killers were partners or family members.
According to the We Will End Femicide platform, the most recent figures are inconclusive. In 2020, the courts registered 300 femicides, though another 171 women were killed under suspicious circumstances, some of which were ruled to be suicides.
Some of these alleged suicides have caused public outcry. ule Çet, a 23-year-old employee at an Ankara office, was sexually assaulted and her boss and his friend threw her out of a window in 2018. The killers claimed that she had committed suicide. The court ignored forensic evidence of strangulation, anal tearing and sedatives from the victim’s autopsy. The courts didn’t reopen the case and sentence the two men to 18 years and life in prison, respectively, until the family of the murdered woman and feminist organizations demanded widespread protests in 2019.
Also in 2018, 35-year-old Ayten Kaya was found hanging in her home in Diyarbakir. The prosecutor concluded that it was a suicide and closed the case. However, her family does not believe this version because the autopsy did not note the exact time of death and because the bruises on her body occurred three days prior to her hanging, which coincides with the last time her husband, a seasonal worker, had been home.
“We don’t want to be killed !”
On July 1, 2021, the day Turkey officially withdrew from the Convention, thousands of women staged protests in the nation’s biggest cities. The slogans on their signs included “Enforce the Istanbul Convention. Let’s put an end to femicide” and “Turkey is a giant cemetery for women. ”.
In the midst of a sea of rainbows, multicolored flags, lilac masks, loudspeakers, and drums, some signs featured pictures of about a dozen recently killed women. Turkish feminists and LGBTI activists have long staged protests on Istanbul’s famed Istiklal Avenue, but since current president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan started leaning more conservative and Islamist more than ten years ago, the protests have gotten more intense.
“I’m here because I don’t want any women to die in Turkey. If they withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, no woman will be safe here,” says Sibel, a 23-year-old demonstrator.
Like with the LGBTI community, they want to take away our rights as women, which is why we are here to defend them. It’s so scary now to be a woman in Turkey [more so for non-heterosexual women]. No one is protecting us,” says another protester, Zeynep, 19, carrying a rainbow flag on her shoulders.
The previous week, police had attacked the Pride Parade in Istanbul and other Turkish cities with surprising levels of violence, making 47 arrests, the highest number on record. This comes at a time when attacks on the LGBTI community are increasing.
At the Generation Equality Forum in Paris on July 1, Turkish LGBTI lawyer and activist Yasemin Öz, co-founder of the Kaos Gay and Lesbian Association, discussed the negative effects of her country’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention in front of French President Emmanuel Macron.
“There were no other speakers from Turkey at the opening ceremony,” Öz told Equal Times. To discuss gender equality strategies, the forum brought together leaders from the public and private sectors, as well as local and international NGOs, and US Vice President Kamala Harris. The inclusion of a feminist and LGBTI activist over a senior Turkish official is, the author argues, “sort of a diplomatic message from international leaders about which side they support.”
As Öz explains, Turkey’s Law 6284 represents “a vital measure for preventing domestic violence.”
“Women are done obeying the patriarchal roles imposed on them for centuries. They want equality. But those roles won’t be changed overnight. A lot of men resist change and put even more pressure on women. This pressure shouldn’t exist. She continues, “A message and a road map to help build equality are provided by the Istanbul Convention and international human rights standards.
The highest administrative court in Turkey, the Council of State, had the last word on withdrawal because the president lacks the legal authority to take the nation out of international treaties. However, observers claim that the court’s deference to a political ruling is another indication of the weakening of the separation of powers.