Transcript Slayt 1 - Graduate Women International (GWI) | Empowering

THE CHANGING POSITION
OF
TURKISH WOMEN
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seldağ GÜNEŞ CEYLAN
Gazi University Faculty of Law
Ankara - Türkiye
 Throughout the history, many variables have
affected the rights of Turkish women. Social and
political improvement, legal background,
economical freedom are the most important
factors which circumscribe the development of
women rights in Turkey and all around the world,
as well.
TURKISH WOMEN IN THREE DIFFERENT TIME LINES
 DURING THE
OTTOMAN PERIOD
 AFTER THE
FOUNDATION OF THE
REPUBLIC
 TODAY
TURKISH WOMEN IN THE OTTOMAN PERIOD
 After the early 15th century,
 In the Ottoman period,
Turkish women lost their
higher position in social
structure in comparison
with the early Turkish
communities.
Ottoman State expanded
very rapidly and turned into
a powerful Empire, while
the old Turkish customs
were forgotten and the
social position of women
deteriorated.
NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES FOR WOMEN
 In the 19th century, some
newspapers and
 1886: “Şükûfezar”, The
magazines about women
owner and the all staff
and women rights started
were women
to be printed.
 1869: First Women’s
Magazine “Terakki-i
Mukadderat”, 48 volumes
 1895-1908: “Hanımlara
Mahsus Gazete”, women
editor, 604 volumes
WOMEN IN THE AGE OF REORGANIZATION
 At the end of 19th Century
girl’s education was
sponsored by the State
 In 1900 the first women’s
association was founded
 The 2nd Constitution of
the Ottoman Empire
(1908): Women’s
education necessary
 Towards the end of the
nineteenth century, the
status of women began
to be improved to some
extent. In this century,
some legal changes were
made in favor of women.
TURKISH WOMEN DURING
THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
 After the First World War and during the Turkey’s War
of Independence (1919-1923), Turkish women played an
important role. They founded their own units and
sometimes fought in the ranks. As an
acknowledgement of their bravery, courage, devotion
to their national cause and the great role they
performed in the history of the nation, Atatürk
decided to restore women their rights which once their
ancestors had.
TURKISH WOMEN
AFTER THE FOUNDATION OF THE
REPUBLIC
 With the declaration of the Turkish Republic in 1923,
under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a
sudden break was made with the old values and
concepts, which kept women in an inferior status. The
reforms of that period gave women complete equality
with men and with their European counterparts.
WESTERNISATION IN THE 1920S
 European clothes
obligatory
 Latin alphabet
 Western classical
 Right to vote
 Right to be elected to
the Parliament
 Legal equality between
man and woman
music was thought first  Right to own
properties
time, in the Istanbul’s
Conservatory
“Everything we see in the world is
the creative work of women”
ATATÜRK
THE CODIFICATION OF SWISS CIVIL
CODE - (ZGB)
 The codification of the Swiss Civil Code and Code of
Obligations represented a profound change in the social
life of Turkey.
 By this adoption, Turkey entered into the legal system of
the continental Europe, which was based on Roman law.
 Abolished Polygamy,
 Equal rights for women in divorce, custody, inheritance
TURKISH CIVIL CODE - 1926
 created a privilege for women beyond its era
 after the Republic it was the first time that
women had their own rights in the written
codes
 Turkey had the world's first women supreme
court judge
TURKISH CIVIL CODE – 2002
 Turkish women’s movement became stronger in
the 1980s
 After 1980s there was need to make some
necessary arrangements in TCC
 In 1994 a commission was formed to renovate TCC
 In 2002 the new TCC came into force
TURKISH CIVIL CODE – 2002
 Most of the changes were on family relations and
gender equality
 The legal age of marriage became 17 for both men
and women which was before 17 for men and 15 for
women
 Full equality of men and women emphasized, with
some exceptions
 Family was defined as a union, based on equal
partnership
MARRIAGE UNDER TCC
 Marriage is a registered official event
 Religious marriages can be done only after the
official ceremony
 Before, the married woman must take the
surname of her husband after the official marriage
 The new TCC indicates that the wife can use her
own surname only with her husband's surname
 In the last years, many Governmental and
non-Governmental, internal and
international organizations have been
founded to implement women rights and to
prevent gender discrimination