Representations of Turkish Women

Abstract

The women of Turkey are often characterized either as a secluded and inert mass oppressed by harsh patriarchal rules of Islam or as liberated citizens enjoying equal rights with men - thanks to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's modernization reforms. The latter characterization has been promoted by the state and several privileged women, including the former Prime Minister Tansu Çiller, and reinforced by the cross-national data that ranked Turkey higher on many gender development indicators than other Muslim populated countries.