Headstart by Yağmur Öztür

Turkish women suffer the most from others opinions. Feryal Ozel, a Turkish citizen and a mother of two, has her name next to some scientific prodigies such as Albert Einstein and John Nash on the list of ‘’Big Ideas’’. Moreover, a Turkish citizen, Fatma Kaygısız is a stay at home mother that goes out of the house only to work at the farm. Both women were born in the same geography, they breathe the same air and, one isn’t superior to the other, but what is it that made them go on different paths?

To start with, in Turkey, women are thought to be notably inferior to men. This notion is more visible in rural parts of Turkey rather than in urban areas. Women and girls are only seen as caretakers of the family. They are not seen as individuals that matter, in fact, people do not think they are accomplished enough to do anything. Because of that, employment rates for women are significantly lower compared to other countries; even women are starting to believe that they are not qualified to work in many jobs due to societal pressure. The difference between these women are the opportunities that have been provided to them.

The main root of this problem is the lack of educational opportunities and the stereotypical woman figure in minds in Turkey. Starting from young ages, girls are limiting their education to start a family, albeit unwillingly. Whereas the boys get to continue their education and move to higher positions, girls put their education in the second plan and close their pathway to being more successful in academic respect. While Feryal Ozel was given the opportunity to work at a real job and built upon it, unfortunately, Fatma Kaygısız was not given this possibility.

The problem is not solved even when all the opportunities are provided too. It is extremely hard for women and girls to achieve their goals because they have to chase the opportunities and fight for them. There is a constant battle between employers and female employees to equalize the wages between the genders, however, even that is not possible. Opinions of women are not considered important, and there is a major issue with men not respecting and listening to women and girls’ ideas. As mentioned above, many people think that women are inferior to men, and so men do not like to see them succeed, which causes societal opinions to inhibit success.

There are some possible solutions to this problem; government based institutes and female role models could help eradicate the stereotypical women figure in the minds of Turkish citizens. Courses about tailoring, cooking, or teaching can help women and girls explore many different types of activities. Thus, opening up their views and presenting them another chance on which they can improve on, other than farming and looking after their families. Because these institutes will be government based, they will have a steady income and motive, not jeopardizing women’s and girls’ access to these facilities.

Another significant solution that can help eliminate one of the biggest problems that women and girls are facing today in Turkey is presenting them with a female role model. Other women from similar regions who have had the chance to study and to find a job can encourage many women and girls to fight for their rights. Seeing in real life that it is a possibility can really change people’s views about this topic, both men and women. Men can see that women actually do matter, that they can accomplish things, and that they can have an impact on the world.

To conclude, the main challenge facing women and girls in Turkey is the significant difference between men and women's employment rates. The reason for this problem is the lack of education and facilities in my country. If men and women continue to view and value women and girls in the same way as they do now, this problem will be far from eliminated. If potential role models are presented and government based institutes are established, this problem will be closer to getting solved.

The most important indicator of a country's modernity and sophistication are women and how women are valued. Unfortunately, in today’s global world, Turkey is falling behind due to these problems. For now, it is a race between two genders, and men have a headstart, that is why women have to work, run, and persevere twice as hard.