Political Parties Lack Gender Awareness

Promises of women representation in politics will be put onto test during the general elections on November this year. We've talked to women from different political parties about their party's approach to the issue.

There are three different approaches to the practices of women's quotas, which serves as a efficient tool to increase woman participation in politics. Democratic Society Party (DTP), Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) and Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) have already embraced the practice in Turkey.

True Path Party (DYP) and Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials claim that even it's not embedded in official party programmes quotas are in effect in practice.

People's Republican Party (CHP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Party of Labor (EMEP) oppose to the establishment of woman's quotas on different grounds.

Each party plans to bring forward another aspect of general problems unique to women during their elections campaigns. On the other hand, they all unite against issues like domestic violence or increasing the visibility of woman labor.

AKP has always considered important the presence of women in politics and despite the lack of an official quota, all internal process aimed at least to establish a 20 percent women representation, says the party's Gaziantep MP Fatma Şahin.

CHP Adana MP Gaye Erbatur points to the judicial constraints as an obstacle to introduce women's quotas.

"We'll make a call to all women who know that they own their existance to the democratic republic", she says, trying to make a contrast to the ruling AKP's Islamic background and theories about how their rule undermines women in society.

MHP is against women's quotas because they're against affirmative action. The party's women's organization's general secretary Aysel Eser says that they don't consider specific policies targeting women's problems.

Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) central committee member Hande Durna noted that despite the lack of quotas, TKP is the party with most women MP candidates. They will aim at bringing forward issues like war, occupation and their effects on women as well as the problems of women workers during the electoral campaigns.

ÖDP, whose executive committee has been figured 50 percent women for the first time in Turkey among political parties, would enter the elections with a declaration on women's problems.

DTP has a 40 percent women's quota. Women have to be able to have a say in all areas of social life, says the party's co-chair Aysel Tuğluk. SDP also practices a 30 percent quota, which would increase to 50 percent as specified in their programme.

Lastly, EMEP distinguishes itself from others, saying that while they're sensitive to gender issues, they will try to form "a united front" during the elections and the focus point of that front will be labor. (AO/EÜ)