Female representation in the newly elected parliament is at its highest level in the history of the Turkish republic with 50 female deputies, thanks to campaigns to raise awareness on the subject.
Özlem Türköne of AKP
The former parliament had only 24 female deputies, 4.4 percent of the total.
Of 60 female deputy candidates of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), 30 were able to win seats in Parliament, some of them from provincial areas such as Mardin, Konya, Şanlıurfa and Malatya, and some of them from different professions such as, who was formerly a district governor. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) had 52 women candidates on its lists and 10 of them are heading for Parliament. There will be two women from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and eight from the Democratic Society Party (DTP). One of the newly elected female deputies, supported by the DTP, is Sebahat Tuncel, who is under arrest and on trial on charges of being a member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Just before the elections, women’s organizations had unveiled campaigns to boost their presence in Parliament. The most famous was organized by the Association for Education and Supporting Women Candidates (KA-DER) which featured women wearing mustaches. KA-DER chairwoman Hülya Gülbahar said the success of women in this election came from the women themselves.
“If women were not demanding their rights, their representation level would be the same. So this increase took place because of the efforts of women. But unfortunately, despite the fact that there were enough women candidates, party leaders did not place them [high enough] on their parties’ lists, preventing the equal representation of women,” Gülbahar said.
Political parties also implemented special measures to increase female representation: Some parties did not ask for the application fee from female candidates, like the Grand Unity Party (BBP). Others asked for only half of it, like the AK Party, or implemented a quota like the DTP, which entered the elections by supporting independent candidates.
The ruling party has increased women’s share of the positions on its list to 11 percent, from 6 percent in 2002, according to KA-DER. The CHP will probably have 10 percent women compared with 8 percent last time, and the MHP 6 percent, up from 4 percent in 2002.
Zeynep Dağı, one of the 30 newly elected female deputies from the AK Party, says 10 percent representation is also not good enough. She says women are active in politics, but this is not reflected in representation. “In my party I know the power of women and their efforts to exist. The AK Party is pioneering the active representation of women. The AK Party will always play a leading role in promoting women’s rights both in party politics and parliamentary representation,” she says.
When it comes to her future contribution to politics as a woman, Dağı stresses her own sense of identity. “First and foremost, I am an individual. Women should exist in politics with emphasis on individualism and individual qualities. Some measures to increase female representation are acceptable, but I do not approve of positive discrimination based purely on gender. Women should be esteemed because of their individual qualities. There is not much difference between women’s rights and human rights” she says.
But Gülbahar stresses that their efforts for increased representation at all levels will continue. She adds there will be local elections in 2009, and they will continue to keep their efforts for the amendment of a political party law that makes positive discrimination difficult.
I heard the representation of women in many nations exceeds what we find in North America. For example, I heard a claim that women's representation in the legislature of Saddam's Iraq was greater than in the US Congress. Do you have any info comparing that for many countries?
Cool website. So Rwanda is no. 1, Canada # 48, China # 50, the USA is #67 (just slightly behind Sudan and Zimbabwe), Iran is an incredibly lousy # 124, and dead last, with 0% representation of women, we have Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.
I guess Turkey just took a big jump up, from # 122 to roughly the middle of the pack
I am very pleased with that. Some women's organization had launched a campaign to promote candidacy and election of women. They had posters of woman candidates all over, with "moustaches" painted over.
But, the more encouraging news is some of them are "progressive" "western" young women and some of them are from within the AKP, which is accused as being anti-secular.
Shall the AKP force them to cover their heads and bodies? I do not think so.
Now, THAT is really encouraging.
The "top down" reforms of Ataturk in 1920's had "forced" a significantly more number of female reps then (by decree!). Women very "given" the right to vote since then, way before in Switzerland. But, those rights were "given", not claimed. Nevertheless, all those top-down reforms seem to be paying back after half a century.
To be carefully watched is if the top ranks of the AKP will yield more to its "fundamentalist" foundation.
I am very pleased with that. Some women's organization had launched a campaign to promote candidacy and election of women. They had posters of woman candidates all over, with "moustaches" painted over.
But, the more encouraging news is some of them are "progressive" "western" young women and some of them are from within the AKP, which is accused as being anti-secular.
Shall the AKP force them to cover their heads and bodies? I do not think so.
Now, THAT is really encouraging.
The "top down" reforms of Ataturk in 1920's had "forced" a significantly more number of female reps then (by decree!). Women very "given" the right to vote since then, way before in Switzerland. But, those rights were "given", not claimed. Nevertheless, all those top-down reforms seem to be paying back after half a century.
To be carefully watched is if the top ranks of the AKP will yield more to its "fundamentalist" foundation.
merhaba gürcan bey.. görüşemiyoruz.nasılsınız.iyisiniz inşallah.. kadı politikacılar hakında akp nin tutumunu netleştirecek bir yazıyı gönderiyorum. umarım yararlı olacak. saygılar...
Prof. Dr. YAKIN ERTURK
BM insan Haklari Komisyonu Kadina Karsi $iddet Ozel Raportoru
'AKP'de odak kadin degil, aile'
AKP de parti programinda kadinlara yer verdi. Programda kadinlara yonelik uluslararasi mevzuatlara uyulacagi taahhut ediliyor. CEDAW'in getirdigi yukumluluklerin yerine getirilecegi gibi iddiali sozler bulunuyor. Ancak programda ''Saglikli nesillerin yetistirilmesi ve aile mutlulugunun saglanmasi icin kadinlarin sorunlarinin giderilmesine calisilacak'' benzeri ifadeler var. Bu da, kadinlarin hala birey olarak, yani kadin olarak degil, aile icin onemsendigini gosteriyor. Oysaki butun uluslararasi sozlesmelerde kadinlar birey olarak kabul edilir, sorunlarinin cozumu de salt onlar icindir. Esas odak noktasi aile veya toplum degildir. AKP'de ise odak, ailedir.
Yine de haksizlik etmemek gerek. Cunku yururlukte olan Turk Ceza Kanunu'nda da kadinlar zaten birey olarak kabul edilmiyor. Kadin meselesi, kadinlara yonelik saldirilar ahlak kategorisi icine hapsediliyor. Meclis alt komisyonu bu anlayisi onemli olcude degistirecek duzenlemeler yapti. Fakat son tartismalar da bize gosteriyor ki, kadinlarin sorunlari yine namus ve ''baskalari''nin meselesi olarak degerlendiriliyor. iste bu yaklasim degismedigi surece ayni tartismalari tekrar yapmak durumunda kalacagiz. Fakat diger hukumetlerde de simdikinden farkli bir anlayis yoktu. Yani kalkip da iyi bir gidisati AKP degistirdi demek dogru olmaz. AKP'yi kadin meselesinde diger partilerden ayiran, onlarin namus kavramini daha fazla one cikariyor olmalari. AKP, dunyadaki diger benzer muhafazakar partiler gibi, ekonomide olabildigince liberal bir tutum takiniyor. Fakat kadin meselesine gelince muhafazakarligi tutuyor. Daha dogrusu en onemli muhafazakarliklari kadinlarda ortaya cikiyor.
ORAL CALI$LAR GAZETECi
'Kadinin arkada durdugu kadin politikasi...'
AKP'nin muhafazakar bir parti oldugunu biliyoruz. Ancak bu muhafazakarlik, islamci bir gelenegin yon verdigi bir muhafazakarlik. Turkiye yonunu Avrupa'ya dondugunden bu yana, bir degisim geciriyorlar. Bu degisim Erbakan'le beraberken baslamisti. Ancak degistim demekle olmuyor.
AKP, ciddi bir gelenekci parti. icinde islamci bir hareketin geleneksel egilimleri kuvvetle agirligini hissetiriyor. Kadin haklari konusunda bu agirlik daha fazla hissediliyor. Evlilik sonrasi edinilmis mallarin paylasimini konusunda olsun, kadinlar icin pozitif ayrimcilik konusunda olsun tutucu davrandilar.
AKP kadinlara yonelik politika uretiyor mu, tabii ki uretiyor. Ancak uretilen bu politika kadinin biraz arkada durdugu bir politika. Hukumette bir tane kadin bakan var, o da erkek egemen ideolojiye teslim olan aciklamalar yapiyor.
AKP, bir yonuyle baktigimiz zaman degisen ve modernlesen islamci hareketi temsil ediyor. Ancak bu modernlesme icinde kadinin guclu oldugu soylenemez.
Zina tartismasi, AKP'deki degisimin ne kadar kirilgan, ne kadar yuzeysel oldugunu gozler onune serdi.
AY$E FERiDE ACAR Birlesmis Milletler Kadinlara Karsi Her Turlu Ayrimciligin Onlenmesi Sozlesmesi (CEDAW) Baskani 'Kadini bagimsiz birey gormuyorlar' ''AKP'nin kadin politikasini icraatlarina bakarak degerlendirdigimizde, somut bir veri gostermek zor oluyor. Genel dunya gorusu olarak AKP, kadini anne veya ev kadini olarak goruyor. icraatlarda goremesek bile parti temsilcilerinin aciklamalari bunu gosteriyor. $u ana kadar cesitli durumlarda kadinlara yonelik bazi olumsuz icraatlari oldu, ancak aldiklari tepki yuzunden geri cekmek durumunda kaldilar. AKP'nin kadini bagimsiz bir birey olarak algilamiyor olmasi en bastan CEDAW ilkeleriyle ters dusuyor. Dolayisiyla bu konuda hala zorluk icindeler. Programlarinda da CEDAW'in ilkelerine bagli kalacaklarini belirtiyorlar ancak pratikte bunu gormek cok zor. Lafta kaliyor vaatleri. Diger hukumetlere kiyasla da pek farkli bir ve yeni bir icraatlarini goremiyoruz. Fakat bariz bir bakis acisi farkliligi var diger hukumetlere gore. Ornegin kadinlarin erken yasta evlendirilmesi Turkiye'de onde gelen sorunlardan. Fakat Basbakan Erdogan'in kendi gelininin 17 yasinda olmasi topluma verilmis ciddi bir olumsuz mesaj.
Son donemde TCK'da yapilan duzenlemeleri genelde olumlu buluyorum. Bu duzenlemeler CEDAW'in da onayladigi maddeleri iceriyor. Ancak duzenlemelerin yasalastirilmasinda karsilasilan zorluk ve direnc, AKP'deki zihniyetin hala surdugunu gosteriyor.
Bir baska onemli sorun da kadinin siyasete aktif katilimi. 3 Kasim secimlerinde oldugu gibi yerel secimlerde de kadin aday goremedik. AKP bu yonde vaatlerde bulundugu halde yerine getirmedi vaatlerini.
Turkey just took a big jump 
