The Status of Women

Good news for International Women's Day from WorldPublicOpinion.org, a project by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland:

Among all Muslim countries polled, Turkey stands out with the largest majority saying equal rights for women is very important. Turks are among the largest majorities in Muslim countries that feel the government should make greater efforts to prevent discrimination and the United Nations should play a role.
• More than nine in 10 (91%) Turks think it is important for women to have equal rights compared to men, including 80% that say it very important.
• A majority (69%) says women have gained greater equality of rights during their lifetime: 21% say they have gained much more and 48% say a little more.
• Turks overwhelmingly (85%) believe the government should make efforts to prevent discrimination against women, with a significant majority (60%) saying the government should do more and 22% saying it already does enough.
• Seven in 10 (70%) support the United Nations acting to advance women’s rights, while just 20% would see this as improper interference in a country’s affairs.
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Click here for the full report.

For an insightful study of the status of women's rights in Turkey, see "Sex and Power in Turkey: Feminism, Islam, and the Maturing of Turkish Democracy," European Stability Initiative, 2 June 2007. Click here for a PDF copy.