Eighty-five years after Turkish law guaranteed women participation in politics, women remain significantly underrepresented in elective offices. There had been hope for change earlier this year, with many pundits expressing jubilation after the elections held June 7 raised the number of female parliamentarians to a record high 98, out of a total of 550. Although the figure represented only 18% of all members, it was viewed as a step in the right direction, generating expectations for additional increases in future election cycles.
In the snap elections held Nov. 1, after the failure of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to form a government, the number of female parliamentarians fell to 82, or 14.9%. Hatice Kapusuz, a feminist activist with the Association for the Support of Women Candidates, had predicted such a decline prior to the vote.
