The education and promotion of Turkish women through the professional ranks is a vital issue for Turkey. No country can develop and attain the status of a contemporary civilized society if the girls do not complete their education and the women are not allowed an equal chance to compete in the world of arts, sciences, sports, the law, medicine, politics, defense, administration, etc.
Turkey is well ahead of many other countries in that regard although, geographically speaking, things are not that rosy in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia.
Here are some numbers provided by Ayse Kulin in her Kardelenler: Cagdas Turkiyenin Cagdas Kizlari (Remzi Kitabevi, Agustos 2004, 16nci basim):
Did you know that Turkey ranks number one in Europe in terms of the percentage of female educators, bankers and lawyers?
Turkish women constitute:
60% of college professors and instructors;
50% working in finance and banking sector;
40% of judges, lawyers and prosecutors;
50% of pharmacists;
30% of doctors.
However, the percentage of women in the Turkish Parliament is still an embarrasingly low figure...
Here are the female deputies in the 550-member Turkish parliament:
Nevin Gaye Erbatur (CHP, Adana)
Oya Arasli (CHP, Ankara)
Ayse Gülsün Bilgehan (CHP, Ankara)
Semiha Oyüs (AKP, Aydin)
Fatma Sahin (AKP, Gaziantep)
Güldal Aksit (AKP, Istanbul)
Nimet Cubukcu (AKP, Istanbul)
Zeynep Damla Gürel (CHP, Istanbul)
Halide Incekara (AKP, Istanbul)
Güldal Okuducu (CHP, Istanbul)
Inci Ozdemir (AKP, Istanbul)
Sidika Saribekir (CHP, Istanbul)
Bihlun Tamayligil (CHP, Istanbul)
Gülseren Topuz (AKP, Istanbul)
Zeynep Armagan Uslu (AKP, Istanbul)
Canan Aritman (CHP, Izmir)
Fatma Seniha Nükhet Hotar Goksel (AKP, Izmir)
Türkan Micoogullari (CHP, Izmir)
Serpil Yildiz (AKP, Izmir)
A total of 19 female deputies out of 550, or a mere 3.5%. Much still needs to be accomplished in that regard.