WUNRN
18
July 2007
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Turkish
Women's Long Road to Equality |
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Ahead of Sunday's general election in
Turkey, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul reports on the battle to get
women into positions of influence. "I'm not beautiful anymore, I'm all
shrivelled up!" Sehriban laments, as she tucks into a breakfast of
boiled eggs and hot tea. This old lady has history carved deep into
her face. Sehriban was just a girl when women in
Turkey got the right to vote. It was a first major step towards equality, but
since then progress has been painfully slow. In the room next door, the next three
generations of her family eat together - women aged from 14 to 60. The family migrated to Istanbul from their
distant village two decades ago. But even here, Turkey's much-hailed
modernisation passed by many. "I never went to school, I wasn't sent
there," says Medina, the next oldest. "I can't read and I can't
write. I brought up five children, and spent my life at home."
Over in uptown Istanbul,
Medina's daughter goes out to make a living cleaning other peoples' homes. Gulseren did go to school, but she left at
the age of 11, like many women her age. Cleaning is about the best work she
can get. Gulseren admits she cries at times from the
hardship. It's hope for the future that keeps her going. "I want my daughter to have a better
life, I don't want her to be oppressed," she confides during a coffee
break. "I hope she can get a good job and
make good money, and then her children can do even better." Stark figures Life for women like Gulseren is gradually
improving. But women were only made equal to men in law here five years ago. A report for the World Economic Forum late
last year showed Turkey still lags far behind Europe in practice - 105th out
of 115 countries, in terms of gender equality. That is despite the reforms of Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk, who founded Turkey as a modern, Western-looking republic eight
decades ago. "The idea that Ataturk saved women and
that the job is already done in many senses held Turkey back. People fell
into passivity," argues Nigar Goksel, analyst with the European
Stability Institute in Istanbul. It has just produced a report on the role
of women here. "Economically and politically, women's
participation is still terribly low. Twenty-eight percent of women of working
age work and the majority are unpaid. "They work the family fields and milk
the family cow. That does not necessarily empower them." The figures for politics are starker still.
Just 4.4% of the current parliament are
women and in local politics that figure is less than 1%. But at this election
efforts are afoot to change all that. Finding a voice At Istanbul's Grand Bazaar last week, Canan
Kalsin was out campaigning for votes - handing red and pink carnations to stall
holders. A tiny blonde, she is one of dozens of
women, fighting for a seat in parliament.
Canan Kalsin is standing for
the ruling AK Party - a religious conservative government that has,
ironically, overseen some of the most radical reforms regarding women since
Ataturk's time. "Getting more women into parliament
will give voice to the other half of Turkey's population," Canan says.
She believes other reforms could then follow much faster. "It will help women raise their
demands." The political parties have recruited a
record number of women candidates to their election lists this year. Activists are hoping female candidates can
win 10% of all seats. It is not ideal, but a start. "Changing politics is simple. The
party leader makes a list and puts one woman on it for every two men. It
could make a huge difference," says Nigar Goksel. "Improving economic participation and
access to education takes time though, and it needs political will. That will
only come about when there are more women in politics to bring it on." Back home, Gulseren and her daughter flick
through a box of family photos. At 14, Burcu is already planning a future
far beyond her family's horizons. She has just made the grade to study at
beauty school. Her dream is to run her own salon. "It's a good business," she
explains, with a smile. "I want to have lots of customers and one day
perhaps be a stylist for high society." As the fourth female generation of the
Turkish republic, there is every chance Burcu can make her dream reality, as
Turkish women come closer than ever to full equality. |
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Economically
and politically, women's participation is still terribly low 
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