One of the cornerstones of a democratic system based on the supremacy of law is that individuals and social groups internalize and possess a critical understanding of their rights and have the ability to use these rights to initiate social and personal change. Our country has not yet settled into a system where individuals can take advantage of the ‘rule of law’ state and contribute to democracy. Gender discrimination and the patriarchal nature of our society make this shortcoming all the more applicable to women. The legal rights that women have gained on paper since the establishment of the Republic have not been translated into rights applicable to their everyday lives.

This situation calls for a prioritized agenda that requires work on various different levels:

Adaptation of the law to human rights and international norms and principles preventing discrimination against women

Creation of mechanisms and the adoption of institutional measures to apply the law and eradicate human rights violations and discrimination from women’s everyday lives

Elimination of the influence of customs and traditions that continue to define and damage women’s lives

Enabling women to internalize the concepts of rights and laws, to reach and adopt an awareness of their legal rights and to develop a consciousness of struggle for these rights

Support of these efforts with field research that illustrates women’s needs and the relationship between laws and everyday life.

Related documents:

Laws and Women's Human Rights in Turkey

The Civil Code

The Year 2000 Penal Code Draft

Law On the Protection of the Family

The New Legal Status of Women in Turkey (booklet)

Woman and Family in Eastern Anatolia (research article)

From Subjects to Citizens: Where Do the Women Stand? (research article)