The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-03-24
"3.l-L - -s7sr
GsRIS
STUDY AiEDIC II
.loai2y Of School to Women
CO lied Lowering of Last Bar
risr in Crusade for Equality.

/
| ConstantinopIe. = Tradition, backed
by prejudice, doubtless causes many
people throughout the world to regard
the status of women in Mahometan
| countries as the same as that pOr-
| trayed In the Arabian Nights and to
picture the Turkish woman as the
slave of a polygamous husband, igno-
rant and illiterate, imprisoned in a
harenl, with nothing to do but to
lounge upon cushions, smoke nargi-
leh, and minister to the pleasures Of
her lord and master.
This is fallacious and unjust. There
is hardly any polyamy In Turkey to-
day The average Turkish woman is
the only wife of her husband and is
comparable in education and personal
liberty with the omen of most other
lands.
This latter fact has now been en-
phasized by the admission Of women
and girls as students to the medical
school of Constantinople university.
The first official attempts to secure
the admission of women to medical
studies and to the exercise of the pro-
fession were made in 1917 by DR.. Ras-
sim Ferid, then sanitary director OF
Constantinople. He gained a favorable
vote from the superior council Of
health and demand by the ministry
for the elaboration Of an enabling act.
Champions Woman's Cause.
For many years Bessim Omar Pasha.
professor Of the obstetrical clinic at
the faculty, the founder Of the Red
Crescent, rector of the university, has
championed the cause Of women in the
councils Of the faculty and university
In 1911 Bessim Omar Pasha inaugu-
rated for women regular lectures ut
the university on the question Of n.y.
giene This was the first step. A short
time after, in 1914, feminine univer-
sity was founded which, during its five
years OF existence, has awarded 43 d.
plomas. But despite its title, its
teaching did not go beyond second
airy studies. A little later, In 1919,
women were admitted to the Univer-
sity of STEAMBOAT, first to the faculty OF
science and letters, then to the faculty
of law, while the faculty of medicine
still remained closed to them. At the
beginning the women followed special
courses distinct from those of the men,
then the separation between the sexes
was abandoned. From year to year
the number of women increased. To-
day 100 are students In the university.
Nurses School Founded.
The necessities of war brought about
intellectual emancipation. In
the Balkan war OF 1912 a school Of
nurses was founded Until then the
Red Crescent had employed only men
as nurses. Later women took part In
the administration of the Red Crescent.
Finally, during the World war, the
difficulties of life the high cost Of
'ood the prolonged absence of heads
If the families and the necessity of
'eeding the children, compelled women |
# family to share the work of the |
nen in commerce, administration and |
BY her work woman has |
acquired the right OF independence. |
She has come out of the harem and |
,ver more concerns herself with the |
outside world.
In the home many women and young |
iris have adopted European habits
md toilet, and you could not distin-
,uish Mussulman salon from a Chris
ian salon. The most advanced fam
lies have assumed habits of life cop
ed from the French, and the husband,
t the side of his wife, receives at Ia
lie his invited guests, men and women.
he pleasure and charm of life have
hereby assuredly gained for the TURKS
nd for the foreigners who visit the
ountry Morality has lost nothing
hereby.
The Turkish spirit has been modern
.ed. The emancipated women have
he right to speak and the right to