Turkey 's Domestic Policies Regarding Gender Equality

Since 1950 European Union (EU) was created it has promoted peace, prosperity and values among the member nations and its neighbouring countries. EU’s influential tools, has helped transform many European states into functioning democracies and prosperous countries. EU’s membership has grown from 6 to 28 countries (Enlargement, 2014), satisfying a historic vow to integrate the continent bringing in most states of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) by peaceful ideals.EU has anticipated the enlargement as an extraordinary opportunity to endorse political strength and economic success in Europe. EU’s extension policy is open to any European state that fulfils the EU’s political and financial criteria for membership; still the political process of inclusion of new state requires a unanimous agreement from all the existing 28 member states. Europe is considered to be more flourishing and safer place due to the promotion of democracy, anti-corruption policy and the single market policy.

1. Each Member State shall ensure that the principle of equal pay for male and female workers for equal work or work of equal value is applied.

One of such issues is Gender Equality. A complete and unbiased definition of gender equality as addressed by the European Commission’s Women’s Charter (2010) (COM (2010) 78 final) which can be seen in the Gender Equality Index Report (2013, p.7, cited in Kovačević and Šehić, 2015) defined it as “the full realization of women’s potential and the full use of their skills, a better gender distribution in the labour market, the promotion of genuine

As formerly stated, women’s rights across the world are slowly increasing while they remain the same or even worse in some parts of the world. In America, women can vote, be a part of Congress, choose whatever career they want to study, live wherever they please, marry whoever they love, and much more. In Europe, gender equality is one of the core values in their initial founding treaties, and

The EU should expand to include Turkey. If the EU were to include Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, then a European-style stability would be

The aim of this essay is to critically analyze the key influences/ dimensions of gender equality in the workplace comparing U.K and Greece. There are many dimensions of gender equality in the workplace that have been researched and studied carefully over the years. This study will critically examine and highlight the importance of the key dimensions of gender equality in the workplace in these two countries as well as to compare them. Firstly, in order to analyze these key dimensions the following concepts need to be defined:

From the filing of its EU membership application in 1987, Turkey has long attempted to become a member of the European Union. As of 2014, Turkey is still a candidate country for membership and its position doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. This paper will outline the various challenges Turkey faced in the past and its relation to current challenges facing her ascension to membership in the European Union. This will take the form of establishing Turkey’s position relative to other European nations from the end of the Second World War and how Turkey is progressing vis-à-vis

As of December 2004, the EU had offered to begin membership talks with Turkey next year, with October 3, 2005, given as a start date . However, EU officials warned that Turkey has to recognize Cyprus before the talks start. Turkey, which occupies northern Cyprus, had originally said it would not bow to demands to recognize the country, making the issue of compliance- and ultimately accession- relatively stalemated.

For almost three decades Afghanistan has been the setting of ruthless wars. The Soviet occupation and the Taliban takeover has not only gridlocked country socially, it has also caused it to regress. Prior to the occupation of these treacherous groups, Afghanistan had a relatively liberal outlook, with a hopeful progression of women’s rights. More specifically; “Afghan women made up 50% of government workers, 70% of school teachers, and 40% of doctors in Kabul.” In recent years the public life of women has been completely effaced due to the effects of war and the Taliban regime. They are isolated, confined to their homes and masked with an all-encompassing burqa; prisoners in a country they call their “home”. In the country one calls

Closer co-operation with all the EU and a possible accession to the community had been a common strategic fundamental for people and European procedures vis-à-vis Turkey, the Western Balkan countries as well as for the Far eastern partners. Besides NATO, the EU became the most robust institutional link in transatlantic community -- a well acknowledged fact both in Brussels and Washington. The EU – and a few of its new member states – also developed a substantial coercive authority, because of the dominance in unusual trade, the area economic subsidies and within other locations traditionally subscribed to soft power. Judging by these instruments, as well as increased global weight, the EU could acquire a robust influence and a institutional credibility in its broad local community.

Turkey is a very interesting country to study. Turkey dates back to the beginnings of civilization and has been imprinted on by many historical conflicts. In its long existence, it has been occupied by numerous empires, like the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire, which helped shape the regions values and structure to what it is today. The crucial changing point for the country was when it received its independence, or sovereignty, from Russian, Italian, and French occupation. In 1923, lead by Mustafa Kemal, the turkish people, through the nationalist movement, gained independence by not allowing the remnants of the Ottoman Empire after their defat in World War I to let the Allies split up the

In short, these inconsistencies give credence to the possibility that potential heresthetic considerations in established member states outweigh the slower economic and political development of Eastern European states. In theory, binding normative ideas and not individual member states influence EU integration; however, in practice upholding essential EU norms, such as human rights, is plagued by double-standards in established and new members. The double-standards arise from shared practices that undermine human rights despite EU’s formal commitment to protect them. These limitations hamper Europeanization and proper norm diffusion, so in practice specific broad organizational objectives of established member states appear to drive the process of EU integration at this time.

All throughout history, it can be noted that women have been at a sever disadvantage when compared to their male counterparts. From simple tasks as who is considered the head of the household to even more challenging tasks like ensuring women are equally represented in government, women have always had to work harder to ensure they are being treated as equal. The same can be seen anywhere in the world, especially in Europe. While the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states in Article 20, 21 and 23 that every person is equal and cannot be discriminated against, it would be extremely interesting to research how members of the European Union have taken into account said articles and used it in order to ensure that their legislation and way of government provides the ultimate gender equality within their boarders. I plan on examining how different members differ in their levels of equality for men and women and how their legislation is set up in order to make that happen. How has the European Union taken measures in ensuring women’s rights across the board for members of the Union and how effective has their legislature been in ensuring this equality?

ACCESSION CRITERIA: HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND FURTHER ENLARGEMENT OF THE EU: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO TURKEY

EU membership has been regarded as one of the significant tools for achieving this goal in Turkey. In this context, Turkey has given great importance to its relations with EU integration institutions. The long history of relations starting with the signing of the Ankara Agreement on 12 September 1963 between Turkey and the European Economic Community (EEC) is an evident indication of this importance. Turkey, one of the founding members of the United Nations and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and a member of NATO since 1952, showed its willingness to continue to increase its role in the different areas of Western policy.With the signing of the Ankara Agreement, trade began to be liberalized, followed by the completion of the Customs Union by the end of 1995. since the signing of Ankara Agreement, there have been ups and downs in the relations between Turkey and EU integration institutions. Turkey applied for full membership in the EEC in 1987. In 1990, the European Council endorsed the Commission opinion underlining Turkey’s eligibility for membership, but deferred the assessment of this application until the emergence of a more favourable environment. Additionally,despite the advanced relations and economic integration between Turkey and the EU, Turkey was not characterized as a candidate country at the Luxembourg Summit in 1997.These developments alienated Turkey and adversely affected its EU