PLACE OF WOMAN IN TURKEY AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES by Melike Bilgiç

Women all around the world have had their struggle against survival for a very long time. This  struggle began in their mothers warn before they were even born. In the early centuries, when  a woman gave birth to a child and if the gender was a boy it was a sign of strength and pride  for the family. In contrast to giving birth to a girl was a sign of weakness.  

After their (unfortunately (!)) birth, girls were raised to be a good wife and housewife when  they grew up. It was not necessary for them to get education because it was not needed for them.  The ones who stood up for these actions and fought for women’s equal rights were accused of  witchcraft or corruption and silenced or burned by men, or by the people in charge (again,  mostly by men). 

As a result; women all around the world, who have become accustomed to this treatment  gradually decreased confidence in themselves and in their strength. The personalities of women  who are used to living under the influence of men, lost in fear of coming out of control, this prevented them from playing an active role in social life. In the other hand, even in that situation  women’s fight against survival, as an equal human being, continued. Lots of women unions  were active and still are. They were silenced but they resisted and made (some places still in  the process of making) their equal rights exist. This fight of women were and is supported by  men as the ages progressed with the modernization brought by recent times.  

It has been a very long process for women to have equal rights as men. Until the 20th century,  political and public life of women was closed and limited. Women gained political rights by  entering public life outside the roles of housewife and motherhood that society has given them,  by the naturel cause of developing democracy, human rights and equality.  

While Turkish women had extensive political rights in Central Asia, with the adoption of Islam,  Turkish women were somewhat restricted in the exercise of most of their public rights. Especially in the Ottoman State, in terms of political rights women were pushed to the  background. However, during the period of legitimacy, which began in the Tanzimat era (1839 - 1876), women's movements gained momentum. Due to the foundation of some women’s  associations in the Constitutional era and the attention of the press, Ottoman women started to  ask for their rights and, as an extension to this, claimed their political rights. The full attainment  of political rights for Turkish women was not accomplished until the declaration of the  Republic. Atatürk’s (the founder of the Republic) reforms hoped to blast these centuries-old  traditions to smithereens, and to liberate women completely so they could participate in every  aspect of society equally with men. 

The veil was outlawed; civil marriage and divorce were established; Turkish women obtained  the right to vote (long before women in Switzerland had that right), to hold political office, and  to bequeath and to inherit wealth in their own right. 

Though these reforms were dramatically effective, society does not change easily or quickly,  and even Atatürk‘s bold, foresightful measures could not change everyone’s mind set all at  once. Arranged marriages are still common in the countryside and among the more traditional,  religious families, although in the cities modern ideas of girl-boy courtship, love and marriage 

are not uncommon. Female virginity upon marriage is valued (and often expected), though it is  not universal anymore. 

In developing countries such as Turkey, the way to achieve the desired level of prosperity is  only through the inclusion of women in all areas of life. Economic crisis and unfair growth  around the world can be solved by contributing to women's business life. According to  McKinsey's report, if women participate in the economy on an equal basis with men, the world's  gross national product will grow by a total of $ 28 trillion by 2025. In addition to this serious  figure, which cannot be ignored, women's active participation in business will lead to  achievements such as reducing poverty, innovation, diversity, good governance, sustainability  and shortening decision-making times. 

So, what's the first step we need to take to make this happen as soon as possible? The answer is  gender equality. Of course, there is no situation that we can change in an instant, that we can  immediately achieve equality. We must first start with ourselves, get rid of the patterns that  settle in our language, the prejudices that settle in our subconscious, and participate in social  responsibility-oriented projects to empower and educate women and girls. The great leader  Mustafa Kemal Atatürk says: “The human community is ink from two sexes of people called  men and women. Is it possible for us to advance one part of this mass, neglect the other, so that  the integrity of the mass can advance? Is it possible that as long as half of an object is bound to  the Earth in chains, the other part can rise to the heavens?”