Women & Islamic Cultures Family, Law and Politics

The causes of underrepresentation of women in
parliament and cabinets are:

1. In general, women’s patterns of political par-
   ticipation reflect their disadvantageous position in
   society. The majority of women lack political
   resources such as education, occupation, and
   wealth. This limits their political participation and
   representation. Besides, a kind of self-imposed lim-
   itation interrupts women’s participation in politics
   (Koray 1991, 125).


2. The legal rights of women are sometimes
   ignored in favor of more traditional provisions of
   Islam in relatively closed provincial communities.
   Women in most small towns and villages are still
   socially secluded. The success of legal reforms in
   changing women’s conditions has been limited
   largely because Islamic beliefs and traditions con-
   cerning gender roles continue to be socially valid
   (Toprak 1990, 43). It is commonly believed that
   participation of women in social life will be
   destructive of the functions of the family. Social
   and political activities of women are controlled and
   limited by their husbands, their families, and
   social/political actors (TUS÷AD 2001, 208).


3. The political parties have never considered
   gender equality as an issue of democracy. It is still a
   rhetorical subject only to be remembered during
   election campaigns. It can be easily asserted that
   political parties have used women only as a symbol
   of Westernization and modernity. Furthermore, it is
   claimed that the political parties in Turkey have
   been the reproducer and the supporter of sexist
   ideology (Çakır 2001, 401). It is thus not surprising
   that there is insufficient support, such as quotas
   or short lists for female candidates, to increase
   women’s chances of being elected. As a result
   women still tend to be nominated in limited num-
   bers and for marginal seats.


4. Lastly, the instability of the Turkish party sys-
   tem has a negative effect on women’s participation
   and representation in politics.

Women in public administration
Turkish women began to work in public admin-
istration in the 1880s as teachers and nurses. After
the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the num-
ber of women officials increased due to the prolifer-
ation of bodies and functions of public administration.
Especially in the early years of the Turkish Republic
successful, professional, avant-garde women were
presented to the public as model pioneers on the
path of new, Western inspired civilized society by
the single-party leaders (Abadan-Unat 1981, 102).
During the multi-party period, while the political
parties seem not truly interested in promoting

turkey 683

women’s situation in public administration, such

factors as economic necessity, the rising educa-

tional level, changes in the family structure, and

decline in birth rate have encouraged women to go

to work. In other words, the growing participation

of Turkish women in public administration is essen-

tially the result of economic and social change,

rather than specific egalitarian political policies. In

this sense, it is largely a “spontaneous develop-

ment” (Çitçi 1998, 575).

The statistical data on women working in public

administration show that their total number has

increased at a faster rate than that of their male col-

leagues. Between 1938 and 2003 the total number

of women in the public service increased sixty-fold,

while the total number of male public officials has

increased thirteen-fold. According to the 2003 sta-

tistics women constitute percent 31.8 of public offi-

cials (T. C. Emekli Sandı©ı 2003). As in politics,

they are much more educated than their male coun-

terparts. However, it should be noted that they tend

to be concentrated in areas associated with

women’s traditional societal roles in, for example,

education and health. At the senior level of civil

service, while 10.5 percent of high administrative

officers are women, at present there is no female

permanent secretary or provincial governor.

Moreover, women constitute only 2.1 percent of

sub-governors, 3.7 percent of chiefs of police, and

4.3 percent of ambassadors. Nonetheless, it could

be said that women in public administration are in

a much better position than those in politics.

Conclusion

Turkish society is characterized by the contrasts

and combinations of East and West, by a conflu-

ence of modernity, traditionalism, and Islamism.

Varied subcultures, classes, and values shape edu-

cational, occupational, and political opportunities

for women in Turkey today. Educated women from

urban, middle, and upper classes have been able to

take advantage of participating in bureaucracy and

politics. Since women are particularly weak in elec-

toral politics, their parliamentary performance

has not actually increased female representation or

women’s participation in the decision-making

process.

Bibliography

N. Abadan-Unat, Women in government as policy-mak-

ers and bureaucrats, in M. Rendel (ed.), Women, power

and political systems, London 1981, 94–115.

Y. Arat-Pamuk, From the private to the political realm.

Female parliamentarians in Turkey, in F. Özbay (ed.),

Women, family and social change in Turkey, Bangkok

1990, 28–38.