BY NICOLE POPE
TODAY'S ZAMAN- Shortly after the electoral lists were released, media headlines hailed a great victory for Turkish women and an `explosion' in the number of female candidates.
The head of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TÜSYAD), Ms. Arzuhan Dodan Yalçyndad, expressed satisfaction that the parties had acted with sensitivity.
But when the lists were examined in the harsh light of day, the optimism paled and more nuanced assessments started appearing, alongside statements by women's rights activists expressing their profound disappointment. Political parties may have increased the number of female candidates, but they started from such a low base that the end result remains well below expectations, despite the effective campaign led by non-governmental groups such as the association to Cultivate and Support Women Candidates (KA-DER).
Take the main political parties: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdodan had promised a woman from each of Turkey's 81 provinces. Unless Turkey has shrunk in recent weeks, he has failed to fulfill his pledge: his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is only fielding 63 female candidates out of 550, and only 20 or so are in places that make them likely to enter Parliament. The situation is even worse in the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), where only 52 of the 550 candidates are women.
By most estimates no more than 40 women will make it into Parliament. This would bring the ratio of female deputies from an appalling 4.4% to a still rather embarrassing 7.3%. In the list compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union last September, Turkey ranked 123rd in terms of female participation in the national Parliament. If estimates for the upcoming elections prove correct, Turkey can expect to climb to number 108, which would place it behind Somalia and Kenya, but just ahead of Benin.
This is hardly the great `victory' that was announced. It is an improvement, yes, but one that still falls far short of the mark to ensure adequate representation to half of Turkey's population.
The point, also, is not to add women to the lists to make them look more colorful or give parties a more progressive image: it would also be useful to have more women who are in touch with the grassroots and are familiar with the issues of concern to Turkey's female population. Some women candidates were chosen in the general scramble for celebrities, top-level bureaucrats and prominent names that often precede elections. It was particularly striking this year; all the main political parties tried to revamp their image. In the process of moving closer to the center and eliminating opposition to the leadership, the AK Party and the CHP shed almost half their current representatives.
The poor representation of women is a symptom of the democracy deficit within the political parties. It is hardly surprising that so many successful people, women as well as men, who could really contribute a lot to this country, react with horror when asked if they would ever enter politics. Too many parliamentarians feel they are at the mercy of their party leader and can't express critical opinions or make constructive contributions.
Now that the lists have been handed in, the next stage of the process can start. Will the various political parties offer coherent visions for the future of Turkey and concrete solutions to the problems it faces? Women voters will no doubt want to know how they plan to address issues of particular concern them, such as childcare, flexible employment, health and domestic violence."