Kadın/Woman 2000, Journal for Women's Studies

Kadınlara Karşı Her Türlü Ayrımcılığın Önlenmesi Sözleşmesi (CEDAW) Madde 9 Kapsamında Kadınların Vatandaşlık Haklarına Eşit Erişimi

Aleyna Mutlu Alkaşi — 2025-03-05

Women’s Vulnerability During Natural Disasters: A Feminist Perspective on COVID-19’s Impact in Japan

Xiru Zhao — 2025-03-05

Female vulnerability during disasters is a significant issue, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Japan, as a developed country, exemplifies how women faced increased economic vulnerability and instability during this crisis. The pandemic intensified existing social structures, leading to greater instability and insecurity, with these effects being especially pronounced when viewed through a gendered lens. This article argues that, despite the Japanese government's efforts to mitigate economic instability, the absence of a gender perspective in policy-making perpetuated women’s economic vulnerability, ultimately undermining human security and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Japan.

The Reconstruction of Beauty and Youth Ideals Through the Female Body: A Critical Perspective on Collagen-Themed Advertisement Films

Susin Gören Kekeç — 2025-03-05

It is argued that women’s representations in advertisements are constructed with a focus on the body and presented to consumers accordingly. In this context, the aim of this research is to reveal how beauty and youth ideals, constructed through collagen products, are framed in advertisements in accordance with gender ideology. Additionally, the study seeks to demonstrate that these advertisements also create a new inequality among women based on class differences. In this
regard, advertising is treated as a cultural concept, and the body is considered as a phenomenon shaped by social norms and
gender ideologies. The study examines advertisements from four different collagen brands, with data collected through document analysis and analyzed using the descriptive research method. To further uncover the social and cultural contexts of these data, a semiotic analysis method was employed. The research found that these advertisements, which are constructed around the female body, reproduce gender inequality. Moreover, it was identified that not all women have equal access to these products, highlighting another form of inequality. The study is significant in demonstrating that the female images constructed in these advertisements reflect the existing representations of women in society and the media, and in making the class-based inequalities among women more visible.

Changing Experiences and Possibilities of Feminist Spaces; Feminist Studio Workshop

Nüket Elpeze Ergeç — 2025-03-05

Since women have been confined to the private sphere by restricting their knowledge and capital accumulation in the public domain, spaces have become crucial for consciousness-raising. This study examines the transformative role of feminist spaces in women's lives and the opportunities they provide. The struggle for women to exist in the public sphere represents a significant step toward combating gender inequality. Throughout history, women have faced challenges in occupying public spaces, which men or patriarchal ideologies have often dominated. With the assumption that public spaces have ceased to be
arenas for the free exchange of ideas and have instead become areas governed bypolitical and economic power, often working against women in binary power relations, feminist spaces offer women safe havens to express themselves by resisting societal norms. In this context, the Feminist Studio Workshop, established to distance itself from all forms of power relations and
provide an egalitarian environment, has facilitated discussions on women's challenges in public spaces and gender inequalities.
The workshop enabled participants to share their experiences and engage in consciousness-raising processes. These sessions allowed participants to gain new perspectives on gender roles and contribute to social transformation. It was observed that spaces used as feminist media studios offer women a critical platform to amplify their voices and develop sensitivity toward social issues. In this study, the findings regard-ing the positive effects and transfor-mation of feminist spaces in the lives of women in the sample of “Let Us Walk/ Street Harassment Workshop” held in the Feminist Studio were evaluated and it was concluded that shaping the spaces within the scope of feminist foundations is important and necessary...

Student Mothers: Experiences of Young Mothers Studying at University

Ifunanya Lilian Nnadi — 2025-03-05

This study investigates the challenges faced by young mothers in pursuing higher education, examines their coping strategies for balancing motherhood and academic responsibilities, and explores available support systems. In order to accomplish the study's goals and objectives, a qualitative research design was employed. Snowball sampling was used to select women over 18 years old enrolled in a university in North Cyprus having at least one child and speaking English. Semistructured interviews, lasting 30-50 minutes were carried out with study participants. The interviews were transcribed, coded into themes and sub-themes, and then analysed thematically. The study results revealed that student mothers bear a heavy burden of motherhood responsibilities, leading to significant emotional stress and a negative impact on their mental well-being. The mothers also encounter challenges in finding sufficient support systems, such as lactation rooms and childcare services. To overcome these obstacles, the respondents emphasize the importance of effective time management to balance their academic studies with caring for their children. The respondents report that having a support system from family members and colleagues is valuable for coping with the challenges of motherhood and education. Therefore, addressing the challenges faced by student mothers requires a holistic approach that recognizes the intersectionality of their roles.

The Role and Impact of Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) Network in the Struggle against Gender Apartheid in Muslim Societies

Rüveyda Çınar — 2025-03-05

WLUML is known for its global campaigns against gender inequalities in Muslim societies and patriarchal gender apartheid. It has been particularly active in defining gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under international law and in campaigning internationally against abuses of women rights, especially after Taliban rule in Afghanistan. In particular, the network is concerned with the impact of legal regulations and societal notions on women living under Shari’a law in a world where the West’s intellectual ideas about “women” and “human rights” are absolute, and where various relations are involved. Today, in a global world of global paradigms, orthodox Islam legitimises patriarchal legal systems with its attitudes towards women and traditional fundamentalist discourses, and practices that restrict women’s right to life, are caught in the work and lens of the WLUML through activism activities carried out through various campaigns on international platforms to transform the relevant structures with the ultimate goal of eliminating violence against women and gender discrimination. Taking into account possible criticisms of cultural relativism and anachronism, this article takes the research framework and style in the context of “women’s human rights” and blends it with the feminist perspective and discourse practiced by women living in Muslim societies with Islamic heritage, rather than a feminism imported from the West.

Indices Used for Gender Equality: European Union Countries and Türkiye

Merve Tuba Rüzgar — 2025-03-05

Many organisations conduct research on the concept of gender, which refers to the social dimension of the gender to which a
person belongs. However, it is not possible to say that there is a single method for measuring gender-based inequalities. The aim of the study is to explain the indices used in the field of gender equality in general terms and to evaluate the index values in the European Union (EU) countries and Türkiye in particular. Accordingly, the concepts of gender and gender equality are first explained in this study. Afterwards, the indices used in the field of gender equality were explained and the index values of EU countries and Türkiye were analyzed from the database of the organizations researching these indices. In this study, data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Development Centre, World Economic Forum (WEF), European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) were used in the field of gender equality.

Multiculturalism and Liberal Feminism: An Analysis of Ayelet Shachar’s Transformative Accommodation Model

Ravza Altuntaş Çakır — 2025-03-05

This paper examines the multifaceted perspective of multicultural feminism, focusing on the complex identities and cultural contexts of women. Emerging at the intersection of third-wave feminism and multiculturalism theory, this perspective challenges the universalizing model of women presented by orthodox liberal feminism, arguing that it neglects the significance of cultural context and the distinctive experiences of women from minority groups. Multicultural feminism advocates for anuanced approach between individual rights and group belonging, enabling women to (re)define themselves and achieve liberation while preserving both their individual rights and cultural identities. Ayelet Shachar, a prominent figure in multicultural feminism, has developed the concept of “transformative accommodation,” which aims to foster gender equality while upholding cultural diversity. This conceptual framework proposes a structure based on shared authority between state and group authorities in the judicial and public service spheres, offering a comprehensive perspective for women’s empowerment and the realization of their rights. This study investigates how multicultural feminism, particularly through Shachar’s theoretical contributions, provides a crucial conceptual framework for rethinking the relationship between religion and state, thereby facilitating the construction of a more inclusive and pluralistic society. It further demonstrates how this perspective offers a novel approach to the struggle for gender equality.

A Comparative Constitutional Judicial Review on Violence Against Women

Ezgi Fulya Akkuş — 2025-03-05

Combating violence against women stands as one of the most critical social objectives of the 21st century. The United Nations highlights this issue through various instruments, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This study examines the treatment of violence against women as a violation of human rights by supranational judicial oversight mechanisms, with a focus on the framework of judicial dialogue. Supranational oversight mechanisms, when addressing cases of violence against women, interpret norms of a similar nature in a consistent manner by
engaging in judicial dialogue with one another. Through this interaction, universal standards for monitoring and addressing such violations are developed. These standards, in turn, influence subsequent national and supranational legal frameworks. Key decisions such as the European Court of Human Rights’ Opuz v. Turkey, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Cotton Field Decision, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Lenahan Report underscore that violence against women constitutes a gender-based human rights violation and affirm the positive obligations of states in this context. This study demonstrates that the interactions and judicial dialogue established between supranational judicial bodies have a transformative impact on the protection of human rights globally.