Many efforts are being made in Turkey to promote equality between women and men. However, there is still a lack of equality between women and men in areas such as employment rates, political representation, and managerial positions. According to the “Women in Statistics, 2022” report published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), based on the results of the household labor force survey, the proportion of employed people aged 15 and over in 2021 was 45.2%. However, this rate was 28.0% for women and 62.8% for men. In other words, the employment rate of women is less than half of men.
The employment rate of women in the 25-49 age group with children under the age of 3 in their households was 26.1%. When this rate is analyzed by gender, it is seen that the employment rate of women in the 25-49 age group with children under the age of 3 in their households is considerably lower than the employment rate of men.
Women’s political representation is still insufficient. According to data from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, as of the end of 2022, the number of female deputies among 579 deputies was 100, while the number of male deputies was 479. The proportion of female deputies in parliament increased from 9.1% in 2007 to 17.3% in 2022. However, women’s political representation still lags behind men’s. When we look at executive positions, according to the results of the household labor force survey, the proportion of women in senior and middle management positions in companies increased from 14.4% in 2012 to 20.7% in 2021.
Although the increase in this rate is a positive development, it is still seen that women do not have enough access to managerial positions. In conclusion, Turkey has not yet achieved full gender equality. There is still gender discrimination in areas such as employment, political representation, and executive positions. However, it is hoped that this situation will improve with the studies and measures to be taken.