In Turkey, almost half of the female population experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. Less than a third of Turkish women are legally employed. Female representation in Turkish political life rose above 5% for the first time just five years ago. It is now just above 14%.
Gender inequality in Turkey is severe and widespread, and is getting worse rather than better. Instances of domestic abuse rose between 2008 and 2011, and the number of Turkish women in employment has been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s.
And, based on recent comments made by the country’s president, there doesn’t seem to be much hope for the future. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said unequivocally that women are not equal to men and should not expect to have the same level of participation in society.
“You cannot put women and men on an equal footing,” Erdogan said. “It is against nature. They were created differently. Their nature is different. Their constitution is different.”
“You can’t get a woman to work in every job that a man does, like they did in communist regimes in the past.”
Although this sounds like something that would never be uttered by a head of state, unfortunately this was the theme of Erdogan’s entire address given to a meeting held to discuss women and justice. This is not a drill.
Erdogan also mentioned that women should be grateful to be offered the “highest station” of motherhood.
“Our religion gave woman a station. What station is this? The station of motherhood … Motherhood is something different and is the most unobtainable, the highest station,” he said.
“There are those who understand this, those who don’t. You can’t tell this to feminists, because they do not accept motherhood. They have no such concerns.”
With a president convinced that women are not equal to men and shouldn’t expect to be treated as such, how can there be hope for Turkey’s progression towards gender equality?
These attempts to mandate a woman’s role both in society and in the home get to the heart of Turkey’s gender equality problem. With a government that actively promotes sexism and inequality, it is not surprising that the country has such high levels of violence and abuse against its women and children and such low levels of female representation in the workforce. This connection was noted by human rights activist and lawyer Hulya Gulbahar:
“Such comments by state officials which disregard equality between men and women play an important role in the rise of violence against women. Such comments aim to make women’s presence in public life — from politics to arts, from science to sports — debatable,” she said.
Erodgan’s words are not empty rhetoric, either. Having been elected to the country’s highest public office, Erdogan has the power to act on his beliefs. During his term as president, he has tried to outlaw abortion and adultery. He has also tried to mandate that women bear at least three children.
When we have a head of state who believes equality is a farce, the goal of reaching gender parity in global terms seems even further out of reach. On the plus side, the Turkish president is one political leader who makes our own seem positively enlightened.