“Honour Killings” ?

The practice of so-called “honour killings” appears to continue in Turkey.  This time a young nurse was the victim.  She had filed for a divorce, and this was her husband’s response…

English :: The Common Reason for “Honourable” Men to Kill – Bianet.

Women’s Rights in Turkey

Yet again Turkey makes headlines regarding women’s rights.

The thinking is, given enough exposure, one day things will change for the better.  The more voices there are, the better they can be heard.

English :: Women’s Rights Must be Implemented in Daily Life – Bianet

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What’s in a women’s name?

Women’s rights are important everywhere, and Turkey is no exception. Except that sometimes they are only important to the women. Sometimes it’s  not a life and death situation. Sometimes it’s the seemingly small things, like their surnames.

According to the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM), a report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Turkey is way down at number 101, out of 109 countries. This index measures the female participation in the economic and political life of a country.

The law in Turkey still states that a woman must take her husband’s name on marriage. This can be changed by a court order, and its attendant costs. One woman, in 2004, took her case to a higher authority, The European Court of Human Rights, and won her right to keep her maiden name.  Other women have since won their cases in Turkey, quoting the Strasbourg decision. Consequently, the Turkish law has been ruled against and should be changed. There seems to be no action in that direction.

Why is it important to the Turkish authorities that women lose their identity on marriage? A wife and children in Turkey are still the “property” of a husband. It’s nearly 2010. The Turkish Civil Code should and needs to be changed.