"The Illusion of Women's Liberation in Turkey" by Ekin Harmancı

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, feminism is defined as the belief and aim that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. Having recently entered a new decade of the 21st Century, it is upsetting to witness the crucial relevancy of feminism. This worldview implies that throughout centuries humans have progressed in many aspects but when it comes down to something as inherent as the further progress of our society as the equality of sexes is concerned, we are yet to learn how to treat two genders equally. Being born and raised in a country like Turkey has allowed me to observe the transfusion of the West and the East, traditions and the modern era. On paper, women and girls in my country would not initially be expected to experience any serious problems: they have equal rights, laws protecting them, education and career options, and liberation. But do they really enjoy such rights in practice? 

In my opinion, the main reason why the actual condition of Turkish women and girls does not equate with the law and the liberty given to them is due to the fact that women and girls are seen as of less value than men for a variety of reasons. This obsolete mindset keeps many Turkish women and girls from living up to their true potential and fulfilling their dreams. Although women have equal rights and freedom according to the law there are also some unwritten laws that many Turkish people, especially in rural areas and the eastern regions, live by. To exemplify these antiquated rules; a woman’s worth is determined by her chastity, girls are raised to act and talk a certain way starting from their toddler years, a woman’s clothing is responsible for her getting lynched or harassed or even raped. The list unfortunately goes on. 

One of the essential reasons why women are seen as inferior to men is that the general public does not comprehend how they can engage in behavior that is era-appropriate without letting go of their traditional values. One of the most common complaints of women and girls here in Turkey is so-called religion based oppression. It is important to remember that Turkey is a secular state with over 90% of its citizens being Muslims. However, this complication is actually caused due to the lack of accurate knowledge amongst the majority of religious people in Turkey, not the religion itself. People believe what they gather from TV shows and blogs written by self- claimed reverends who are horrifyingly uneducated. This misinterpretation of a religion which was actually founded on principles of equality and progression causes women and girls of all ages and classes to become victims of misogyny. 

Another reason that contributes to this issue is people the oversimplification of femininity and reduction of it to being a wife to the husband or a mother to the children. Whereas there is nothing wrong with being a loving spouse and caring mother, it is a mistake to degrade femininity to those simple things. Women have been assuming active roles in scientific fields, branches of art, industrial labor, education and many more things. It’s saddening to see that even 

educated people still worry about their daughter knowing how to do housework, and finding an ideal husband to be dependent upon rather than guaranteeing herself a good future consisting of a career she is happy with and accomplishing her dreams. Reproduction and submission are not the pre-designated missions for females. People need to realize that these concepts are optional and femininity is so much more than them. 

In conclusion, it seems at first glance that women and girls are liberated here in Turkey. Unfortunately, this idyll is far away from the bitter reality. The lack of education, or more precisely lack of proper education, results in prejudice and discrimination against women. It is of utmost importance that the government provides better education to everyone starting from an early age through curriculum improvements and media coverage on how to be more deliberative about the information you gather around and the importance of gender equality. This way, not only will younger generations become more conscious people who are a lot less prone to manipulation than prior generations, they will also understand how women are equal to men in every aspect and can be just as inspiring role models. As Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”