A brief ’herstory’ of life here in Turkey
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Gul Demir-Niki Gamm
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 07, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - International Women’s Day is celebrated around the world and here in Turkey at the Daily News we recognize women’s progress in society with a wide breadth of coverage highlighting their history and honoring their accomplishments
Turkish women feature in many books, articles and interviews that focus on their experiences from varying angles, including historical, psychological, religious and cultural points of view.
But what is today’s reality? In recognition of International Women’s Day, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review takes a look at women’s progress and problems in contemporary Turkey.
"Gender equality in employment and political participation are serious problems," Associate Professor Nilüfer Narlı said. "Turkey occupies a disastrously low ranking (105th place, after Burkina Faso and Bahrain) in the Global Gender Gap Index by the World Economic Forum. The country has one of the lowest rates of female participation in the labor force in Europe Ğ only 28 percent. Salaries for Turkish women who work are up to 25 percent lower than for their male peers. Only 18 of Turkey’s 3,234 local mayors are women. Balancing work and motherhood is extremely difficult, if not impossible, in Turkey Ğ more than 60 percent of workingwomen do not have young children," Narlı said.
As grim as this may be for today’s world, Turkish women are advancing their standing in society over the years. "It is noticeable that women in Turkey are on a slow but sure path to improving their positions and moving toward an even better future," Narli said
Under Islam, women are actually considered equal in many regards and deserving of education and justice. From there, however, women continued to be subjected to local traditions and customs. As has often been said, the Prophet Mohammed actually improved conditions for women in seventh century Arabia. And up until the 20th century the Prophet’s pronouncements were followed carefully albeit tempered by local situations.
Turkey, quite to the contrary, chose in the first half of the 20th century to set out on a different road under its first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who emphasized the need to recognize the equality of men and women although the two sexes bore different burdens. He even led by example, "adopting" several young girls and seeing to their education.
But what is today’s reality? In recognition of International Women’s Day, the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review takes a look at women’s progress and problems in contemporary Turkey.
"Gender equality in employment and political participation are serious problems," Associate Professor Nilüfer Narlı said. "Turkey occupies a disastrously low ranking (105th place, after Burkina Faso and Bahrain) in the Global Gender Gap Index by the World Economic Forum. The country has one of the lowest rates of female participation in the labor force in Europe Ğ only 28 percent. Salaries for Turkish women who work are up to 25 percent lower than for their male peers. Only 18 of Turkey’s 3,234 local mayors are women. Balancing work and motherhood is extremely difficult, if not impossible, in Turkey Ğ more than 60 percent of workingwomen do not have young children," Narlı said.
As grim as this may be for today’s world, Turkish women are advancing their standing in society over the years. "It is noticeable that women in Turkey are on a slow but sure path to improving their positions and moving toward an even better future," Narli said
Under Islam, women are actually considered equal in many regards and deserving of education and justice. From there, however, women continued to be subjected to local traditions and customs. As has often been said, the Prophet Mohammed actually improved conditions for women in seventh century Arabia. And up until the 20th century the Prophet’s pronouncements were followed carefully albeit tempered by local situations.
Turkey, quite to the contrary, chose in the first half of the 20th century to set out on a different road under its first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who emphasized the need to recognize the equality of men and women although the two sexes bore different burdens. He even led by example, "adopting" several young girls and seeing to their education.