The 2024 Gender Inequality Index report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) reveals Türkiye’s performance on gender equality. According to this report, Türkiye ranks last in Europe and 127th out of 146 countries worldwide. This data shows that Türkiye still has serious problems in terms of gender equality and that important steps need to be taken.

Findings of the Report

The report examines in detail the reasons why Türkiye ranks at the bottom of the world in gender equality. In particular, it ranks 90th in women’s participation in education, 133rd in economic and labor force participation, 98th in health and survival rates, and 96th in pay equality in the same job. These rankings reveal how far Türkiye lags behind in gender equality and how much work remains to be done in this area.

Women’s Participation in the Economy

Insufficient participation of women in the economy is cited as one of the main reasons why Türkiye lags behind in this ranking. Işıl Kurnaz from the Women’s Coalition summarizes this situation with the statement “We are setting the lower limit of the continent”. While women’s labor force participation rate in Türkiye is 18.5%, it ranges between 42.4% and 69.3% in Europe. This shows that women’s economic independence is severely limited. Low economic participation results in women not getting a sufficient share of economic growth and deepening poverty.

Where Laws Fail

The report also emphasizes the inadequacies of the laws. While women’s economic freedom is decreasing, equal opportunity in access to health services and education is not ensured. In addition, the lack of recognition of women’s rights in family and inheritance law is also a major problem. The limitation of women’s economic independence constitutes a major obstacle to gender equality efforts in general. In Türkiye, laws need to be strengthened and enforced to enable women to participate more in economic and social life.

Comparison with Europe

Compared to other countries in Europe, Türkiye suffers from serious inequality in economic and social indicators. While gender equality in labor force participation is over 50% in Europe, this rate is less than 30% in Türkiye. This shows that Türkiye has a long way to go in terms of gender equality. While in most European countries women are more equal in economic and social life, this remains a major problem in Türkiye.

Social and Economic Inequalities

The report also details the impact of social and economic inequalities in Türkiye on women’s lives. The lack of legal recognition of rights to divorce, reproductive health and family and inheritance law are among the main challenges women face in Türkiye. It is emphasized that the gap between the existence of gender equality at the legal level and its practical implementation needs to be closed. Türkiye should make improvements in these areas to ensure that women are in a stronger position in social and economic life.

Cultural and Geographical Factors

Türkiye’s geographical and cultural location is also among the factors affecting its position on gender equality. Türkiye, which has similar problems with countries in the Middle East and North Africa, lags behind many countries in this region in terms of gender equality. Türkiye, which ranks similarly to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar and Kuwait, should emphasize regional and global cooperation to accelerate progress in this area.

Conclusion

WEF’s 2024 report clearly reveals Türkiye’s poor performance on gender equality and the steps that need to be taken in this area. Increasing women’s participation in economic and social life, increasing their access to education and health services, and securing their legal rights are among the key steps Türkiye needs to take to improve its gender equality situation. Türkiye should realize the necessary reforms in these areas and ensure that women have a stronger place in social life.