Women Count Turkey 2018
Abstract
This report presents data on the situation of women in Turkey from a women, peace and
security perspective, and highlights the intersectionality of women’s problems. The report briefly introduces the state of affairs in Turkey, with particular focus on the peace
and security agenda, and thereafter describes the legal and policy framework. The report
uses indicators from the monitoring model of the Women Count project developed by the
Global Network of Women Peacebuilders.1
However, since each case is unique, the data
available for each country are different and the statistical methods used vary. The Women
Count Turkey 2018 report is organized in five sections, encompassing the United Nations
Security Council Resolution 1325’s (UNSCR 1325) three focus points: (i) participation of
women at all levels of decision-making, (ii) protection of women against violence, and prevention of violence against women, and lastly, (iii) women’s inclusion in peace-building
and recovery.
The first section of the report presents an overview of the state of women, peace and security in Turkey, followed by a comprehensive review of the domestic and international legal
framework pertaining to the women, peace and security agenda. In the second part of the
report, data are given on women’s participation in the legislative, executive, and judicial
authorities, as well as in civil service, the diplomatic corps and civil society. The third section focuses on the protection of women and the prevention of violence against women,
with the latest available data presented. The fourth section shows the place of women in
Turkey’s international peace and security agenda, focusing on the situation of women refugees in Turkey as well as the participation of women in the security sector, including the
police, gendarmerie and the military. Finally, recommendations are made. Three main recommendations are presented, the implementation of which requires the combined efforts
of women’s civil society and national and international stakeholders in Turkey’s peace and
security.