The Role Of Women

I am frequently asked by visitors to Turkey and by females planning to move here for work or other reasons about the subject of the role of women here.
Turkey has become polarized over the past few years, and there will be some Turkish women who may not agree with me on some points. If you are one of them, please send us your comments!

First of all, it is safe to say that in many respects, it is very much a man's world and the standard for men here is not the same for women.

Turkey has changed drastically over the centuries. Topkapı Palace with its sultan's harem is now just a tourist site. As the level of education increases, the idea that women are important only for serving men's needs and for childbearing is diminishing. However, some would argue that this idea of women being a housewife rather than a career woman is being emphasized nowadays.

Any improper behavior by a female member of a family can result in family ostracism or even more serious action, such as a decision by the family elders to appoint a male relative as an “executioner.” Honor killings do occur, particularly in the East and Southeast. Female foreigners who move to Turkey do not realize that the mentality of some Turks is not as open as you'd like to believe. Visitors can be deceived by the modern buildings and entertainment found in Turkey.

Some things are still frowned upon or misunderstood. Although things have been gradually changing, particularly for educated women, some traditional rules still apply: For example, if a woman has to live alone for any period of time, a female relative will join her or she will be invited to a relative's home. A woman living on her own is unusual. In general, when in public, a woman's movements should be reserved and careful and in social settings she should be restrained and avoid friendly smiles, eye contact or casual friendliness in mixed company. In a work context this may vary depending on the situation and the status of the people involved.

The idea of community versus independence is still valid. The concepts of hometown (memleket) and fellow countrymen (hemşehri) are strong. An important point to note is that even with large numbers of migration to towns and cities or moving overseas, Turks rarely lose their ties to the past. People who have been born in an urban center may choose to identify themselves as being from a different place -- where their family roots are.

The words of a Turkish song capture this loyalty and identity perfectly: “There is a village far away; whether we go there or not it is still our village.” People have a sense of loyalty toward those who are from the same area. Social clubs exist in most of the big cities where people from a particular region can meet.

Due to the recent polarization of society, values and attitudes distinctly differ. You can see a mix of women, from those in headscarves projecting an image of subservience to men to mini-skirted office employees relaxing in a sushi restaurant after work. As mentioned in my book, “Culture Smart! Turkey,” which has been updated and revised and is now in its fourth edition, I note that women drive privately owned cars -- but we have yet to see a woman driving a taxi, truck or a bus. You see this in the West, but I have not come across this in Turkey yet.

Ironically, though, women run companies. They are top models, TV presenters and politicians. In the 1990s Turkey had a female prime minister. A civil code enacted in 1926 abolished polygamy and introduced a minimum age for marriage. It also provided equality in inheritance and made a woman's testimony as valid as a man's in a court of law. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk gave women the right to vote in 1930 -- earlier than in many European countries. Promotion is often readily available based on merit for women working in businesses. The glass ceiling so often complained about elsewhere in Europe is less in evidence in a modern Turkish company.

For foreign women who plan to come live in Turkey, bear in mind the role of the mother is the person whom everyone has access to, acts as a mediator between father and children and generally attempts to ease the strains created by social change. It is believed that proper behavior between men and women depends more on the woman. Chastity is taken very seriously.

Need I say any more about the role of women in Turkey? It is still being debated!

CHARLOTTE MCPHERSON (Cihan/Today's Zaman)