Woman and the Republic: Before and After (1918-1920)

This study evaluates the status of women between 1918 and 1928 which signify the end the Ottoman Empire and early Turkish Republic. The proclamation of the Republic in 1923 marks the middle point of this time span and forms the starting point of the Kemalist Reforms concerning women. The themes, which develop from the reading of some journals published during this era, reveal a continuity between the two periods in women's social status and their demands as women. On the other hand, they display the degree of transformation brought about by the Republican reforms. The process of women's opening up to the public sphere took place successfully in the first years of the Republic. However the social norms and ethics which restrained women were not confronted. When compared to the examples of Germany/Italy and Soviet Russian concerning the state policies on women, Turkey can be located in between the spectrum two distinct examples present.

(Approved by Zafer Toprak, Prof. Dr. Yesim Arat, Assist. Prof. Arzu Öztürkmen)