’More women the answer’
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 03, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - For progress to be made on the issue of women’s rights and for the voice of women to be heard in Turkey, the number of female administrators in the government needs to increase, Justice and Development Party, or AKP, deputy Fatma Şahin, said yesterday.
Gender equality has always been a problem in Turkey and while these issues have been on Turkey’s accession to the EU agenda, recent forums and conferences held by women’s organizations have shown that much more needs to be done to give women an equal place in society.
"Currently 1.5 percent of the government’s administrative body is female, therefore as the minority it is difficult for us to make ourselves heard," said Şahin, speaking at a conference about women’s rights in Istanbul yesterday.
Budget in spotlight
Female representatives in government are working on a new commission that will serve to increase the number of female administrative roles. Current work on this commission has been put on hold, however, because the budget has taken priority in the current economic crisis, Şahin said.
Progress had been made on the number of women working in family courts, she said. "This has had a positive effect in cases of violence because female victims have been able to voice their concerns through a female representative in court." As a result of this, individual cases of violence have been addressed more radically.
Thomas Gur, representative of the Swedish Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation, and the only male speaking at the conference, said more laws needed to be implemented in Turkey to ensure better rights for women.
"In Sweden we have laws against domestic violence and although this does not mean that men do not abuse their wives and parents do not hit their children, it is still an effective measure as it means people are punished for their crimes," said Gur, adding that while such laws may be effective, it could be a problem culturally in Turkey because many people believe it is their right to discipline children by hitting them.
Gur also said aside from reforms enforced by the government, Turkey needed to work on the mindset of their people so they understand "women’s rights are human rights and human rights are individual and not assigned to one sex."
"Currently 1.5 percent of the government’s administrative body is female, therefore as the minority it is difficult for us to make ourselves heard," said Şahin, speaking at a conference about women’s rights in Istanbul yesterday.
Budget in spotlight
Female representatives in government are working on a new commission that will serve to increase the number of female administrative roles. Current work on this commission has been put on hold, however, because the budget has taken priority in the current economic crisis, Şahin said.
Progress had been made on the number of women working in family courts, she said. "This has had a positive effect in cases of violence because female victims have been able to voice their concerns through a female representative in court." As a result of this, individual cases of violence have been addressed more radically.
Thomas Gur, representative of the Swedish Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation, and the only male speaking at the conference, said more laws needed to be implemented in Turkey to ensure better rights for women.
"In Sweden we have laws against domestic violence and although this does not mean that men do not abuse their wives and parents do not hit their children, it is still an effective measure as it means people are punished for their crimes," said Gur, adding that while such laws may be effective, it could be a problem culturally in Turkey because many people believe it is their right to discipline children by hitting them.
Gur also said aside from reforms enforced by the government, Turkey needed to work on the mindset of their people so they understand "women’s rights are human rights and human rights are individual and not assigned to one sex."