Women condemn Turkey constitution

[frigidmagi]

BBC

Women's groups in Turkey have condemned a new draft constitution, saying it sets the country back years in terms of gender equality.

A new constitution is being prepared to replace the current one, introduced after the military coup of 1980.

The document describes women as a vulnerable group needing protection.

The proposed constitution has already sparked fierce debate with a clause to allow women to attend university wearing the Islamic headscarf.

Speaking on Tuesday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured critics the new draft constitution will reflect the values and needs of all groups of society.

'Patriarchal society'

More than 80 women's groups have come together to voice strong opposition to the draft constitution, calling it a major step backwards for equal rights.

The current constitution in Turkey obliges the government to ensure equality for all - a clause that women's groups fought hard to include.

The new draft removes that, describing women instead as a vulnerable group in need of special protection.

Women's rights activist Selen Lermioglu calls that worrying proof that Turkey is still a highly patriarchal society.

"If the government accepts this it will show their ideology and mindset about women and men - that women are a group that needs to be protected," she said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan - 31/08/2007
PM Erdogan wants to replace the 1980 constitution
"No we're not, we don't need protection. We need equality and ask for that, not protection.

"If all laws and the whole constitution is prepared with this mindset, it can have a really bad impact," she added.

The group says it has not formed a common position yet on the issue of the Islamic headscarf, worn by more than 60% of Turkish woman but banned in state offices, schools and universities.

The government wants to change the constitution to ensure girls who cover their heads can attend university.

Women's activists, like the wider society here, are divided on that.

So far the new constitution has been drafted behind closed doors: now women's groups are demanding to be consulted.

They want to make this process an opportunity to push for more rights, not fewer, including a clause insisting on a temporary quota for women, to eliminate discrimination in all areas.

They argue that is the only way to lift Turkey from close to the bottom of the list in Europe on gender equality.

Thoughts?

[Cpl Kendall]

So women aren't allowed to attend university as it stands right now?

[Batman]

Confused, mainly. While I generally agree that would be a step back I don't like the bit about the current constitution forbidding women to wear a headscarf at University. The staff not being allowed to I can see but the students being forbidden to do so irks me. Though I admit I'm not a big friend of dress codes to begin with.

[Batman]

So women aren't allowed to attend university as it stands right now?

From what I gathered they ARE, they may just not wear a headscarf there.

[frigidmagi]

Women are allowed, head scarves are not. I should note that the US allows head scarves (but then there are roughly 6 million muslims in a sea of over 300 million not exactly likely to force Sharia on us even if they wanted to) but France does not. I believe the Dutch have banned it all together as well.

[Mayabird]

Turkey has had a long battle between the Islamists and the military, which is staunchly secular. Part of the secular nature of the government enforced by the military (not all the time, but by coup whenever the government starts getting a little too crazy) is banning of the head scarves. While in a way I kinda sorta sympathize with people who want to wear it, it IS a symbol of religiously-motivated patriarchal oppression of Muslim women, which is the reason for the ban in the first place.

[frigidmagi]

the military, which is staunchly secular. Part of the secular nature of the government enforced by the military (not all the time, but by coup whenever the government starts getting a little too crazy)

I feel I should step in with a little information. The military is very much a closed society at least in the officer ranks. Dominated by a number of families that train their boys from birth to be officers and their girls to train future officers (the Turk military is all male, you wouldn't know it if you met one of their daughters). I'm told a good chunk of the NCO ranks are the same way. I've been spun stories by some that promising NCOs are often married to a girl from an officer family and those kids brought in. I can't confirm that however.

These families many from the time of Ataturk himself take their duty to the preservation of a secularish Turkish government and state seriously. As can be proven by the coups they launch. To the point that the Knights Templar would approve of their devotion if not the goal. In may be an irony the liberal parts of Turkish society support this behavior, have I and Cat have mentioned they got a saying.

"Better for the military to set us back 10 years then the Islamist to set us back 50."