Turkish Women: By The Numbers
Photo by Jenny White
Here are some of the latest figures on the status of women in Turkey. These are from the 2012 Turkish Statistical Institute’s report on women.
They make up half of Turkey’s population of 75 million. In 2013, they had a life expectancy at birth of 79 (men 75).
MARRIAGE
Average age of marriage is 23 (men 27). In 2011, 120,117 couples divorced for reasons of neglect (27%), violence (21%), unfaithfulness (17%), and other reasons (24%). 94% of couples marry with both a civil and a religious ceremony; 3% have only a religious ceremony. 23% marry a relative; 9% marry through family matchmaking without having a say in the choice of husband.
EDUCATION
92% of women are literate (98% of men). In 2011-2012 98% of both girls and boys attended primary school; 66% of girls were in secondary school (69% of boys); and 25% of women (36% of men) in higher education.
WORK
In 2012 30% of women were part of the formal labor force. Of these, 26% were employees (71% men). 54% of women did fee- or wage-based work (67% men); 11% were self-employed (22% men). 11% of women (wishing to work) were counted as unemployed (men 9%); In the 15-24 age range, unemployment rises to 20% for women (16% for men). Around 70-71% of both men and women who work say they are happy with their workplace.
CHILDCARE
90% of children under age five are taken care of by their mothers; only 2% of fathers participate in childcare; 2% are in kindergarten.
POLITICS
In 1935 Turkey’s parliament had 5% women members; by 2012 this had risen to 14%, but the government had only one female minister.
[...] Turkish Women: By The Numbers [...]