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Die Schüler der Lupe

Being a women in Turkey

Selenay Kandemir



As an eighteen year old young girl experiencing the restrictive pressures that society’s norms bring upon women, it is truly heartbreaking. I would love to talk about the various beauties and opportunities of my country that women possess, but there is no need to sugarcoat the reality of being afraid to walk down the street.


Eighteen may seem like an early age to write about these kinds of issues, but I believe that our voices need to be heard if we are experiencing and living through the problem of women in our country. Women are primary victims of social inequality in patriarchal society. However, it is the female who gives life to every living being in the universe, nevertheless many forgets about it.


In Turkey, “womanhood” is considered sacred and fertile, but every burden is placed on women. They are expected to take care of their families and home and also cook, clean and take care of every need. Women in our country are categorized as traditional-modern, western-eastern, working-non-working, educated-uneducated, and people's perspectives change accordingly. Although Turkey is modern, we cannot deny that we have conservative majority. Ironically, while some uneducated women are seen as ignorant, others are viewed as educated and modern women as immoral.


In our country, the female body has been objectified and seen as a desired object. In Turkey, the issue of honor objectifies women and destroys their value. There are people in our country who analyze whether a woman's dress is appropriate or not, which is not very different. Ironically, the people who analyze this are the immoral ones who whistle, shout, and honk their horns when they see girls on the streets. In Turkish we call this type of man “namusu bacak arasında arayanlar” which means “people who are looking for dignity between the legs.” Because of our conservative majority everyone's deal is dignity, which causes women to have an identity crisis.


Turkey is a country, where women have equal rights, but this equality does not prevent women from experiencing injustice.


Women in Turkey, regardless of their age, face serious problems of violence and harassment both at home and in public spaces. In our country, sexual harassment against women occurs in public spaces, while walking on the street or using public transport. In these cases, verbal harassment is often not punished, and in the case of physical harassment, the punishment is often mitigated through various manipulation techniques, or the perpetrator is not punished. Necessary precautions are not taken for the safety of women and the system is not effective enough. This situation leads many women to be afraid of walking on the street, to feel anxious when making decisions, which restricts freedom.


Can we really talk about equality in society when the perpetrator feels superior instead of being sorry for being the reason for women's fears?


Although women in Turkey have equal rights with men in theory, it cannot be said that these rights are fully realized in practice. Gender roles are based on the idea that men are superiır to women, which is the primary reason for the obstacles women have in their work and education. The question asked in job interviews is “Are you willing to have children?” is the most hurtful thing that an ambitious woman can hear. Because whether or not she wants to have children it is not the employers concern, and it is unfair to sacrifice your morals and it is also unfair to consider this as a hindrance to her profession.


If someone foreign wanted me to describe what it feels like to be a women in Turkey and if I answer it in an utopian way, I would definitely say: My ideas and behaviors are respected, I can walk on the streets comfortably and spend time with my friends until late at night without worrying about how to get home, I can take public transportation at night, I can take long journeys using public transportation, I can wear skirts and shorts while getting on public transportation, I can advance in my career and receive the same salary as my male colleagues, and as a woman, I can receive education and improve myself wherever I go in the country.


Yes, I would definitely say all of these and more, but right now all I can do is to stay at home and hope to not hear any screams of women from outside of my window…


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