Langzame verbetering van vrouwenrechten in Turkije (en)

Despite the continued obvious inequality between men and women in Turkey, the country is making efforts to change perceptions towards women as it looks to join the EU.

Speaking at a European Parliament public hearing on the status of women's rights in Turkey Wednesday (16 March), the Turkish national government's only female minister, Güdal Aksit, said that her country has united with media, schools, and NGOs in fighting violence against women.

"Turkey is doing everything it can in regards to human rights", said the minister of state.

"The important thing is that women take the place they are entitled to", she said.

Ms Aksit condemned police brutality on 6 March against women demonstrating in Turkey for gender equality.

She said the event was caused by a lack of proper police training adding that three of the officers had been suspended while others may yet be once the investigation is concluded.

Though gender-based inequality is a fact in Turkey, it is not uniform around the country, university professor Dr. Feride Acar told the hearing.

"Turkish migrants in the west and north of Europe demonstrate the worst cases of inequality", said Dr Acar.

She gave evidence that regional differences and urban/rural differences meant women have varied access to legal recourse. She also said that the existence of a secular framework in the government's structure is a major advantage and basis for legal reform.

International standards

The women's movement within Turkey has been boosted significantly by the prospects of EU accession, according to the academic. She added that the movement was at the forefront of legal reforms.

Since the late 1990s, reform of labour and human rights laws have been moving toward international standards, beginning with a family protection law in 1998. The introduction of equality in labour laws has begun - from the outlawing of sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace to the extension of maternity leave.

"There is huge potential but, to put it into action, there needs to be political will and desire by the government to do so", said Dr. Acar.

Honour killings

Forced marriages and honour killings are still part of life in certain parts of the country, especially the East and Southeast where rural areas perpetuate traditional lifestyles including that of complete patriarchy, explained activist Serap Cileli.

In those regions, she said, child marriages in exchange for dowries are still practised while the exchange of girls for boys from another family to avoid paying for the dowry still occurs, as well.

"The latest laws are an important step in the right direction but the Turkish government does far too little to protect women against violence across the country", said Ms Cileli.

Hardly a meeting occurs between Turkey and the EU that does not mention human rights and women's rights, said the EU's head of unit on Turkey, Martin Harvey. He added that many of the changes in law signal progress towards accession requirements.

"We're hoping that honor killers will soon be qualified for life imprisonment", said Mr Harvey.

But the tide of change in Turkish society can be seen in its efforts to change traditional mindsets.

The Turkish Football Association is participating in awareness building campaigns about violence against women and training will begin with the Turkish armed forces from 1 May, according to Anne-Brigitte Albrectsen of the UN Population Fund in Ankara.

She said that the country's 18,000 imams will address violence against women in their prayer on 25 March. According to Ms Aksit, 23 November will be a national day promoting the cessation of violence against women.

Turkey is set to open EU talks in October this year but is not expected to join the EU for at least ten years.