Evening star., 1943-04-11
Emancipation Of Turkish
Women 3
BIZ Frederic J. Hdsktn.

last two decades, the emancipation Of
Turkish women appears to be the most
striking. Having won their freedom
barely 20 years ago, what they have ac-
complished and have had accomplished
for them since then, is an outstanding
social reform Of the century.
Evolution of Turkish women has been
a breath taking marvel. Mothers and
grandmothers brought up in an era
Of wells and mystery are still wondering
| what good can come of a younger gener-
| alton, which, no longer cloistered, works
| beside men and like men. Backwoods
sisters in the Anatolian Mountains,
going to market with the veil drawn
ti1nidly about their faces. cannot compre-
hend the significance of the women on
Istanbuls streets dressed in modern
clothes, some operating taxicabs. They
see others working In barber shops,
clerking in stores. and doing work in
government Offices.
Long harboring smoldering resent
ment against their cutout place in life,
Turkish women saw the dawning of a
new day for them in the revolutionary
changes which started in 1922 and we're
completed in 1923 and 1924. The guard
ed harem of their youth was no school
of good citizenship, and it did not teach
| them self-reliance or the exercise OF
native ingenuity. Carefree children
until the age of 13. the door was then
swung shut on girlhood They re-
ceived dresses. perfumes and jewelry
and learned polite accomplishments
husband was chosen by parents and the
marriage arranged.
With the Turkish revolution the veil
was lifted in more than one sense In
the wake OF the army Of deiverance
were women dragging cannon up hill and
down dale. AS the victorious army ad-
vanced, the debt of gratitude of the
men of Turkey mounted. Since that
dramatic event, women have gradually
come into their own. not only on the
basis Of equal rights in national affairs,
but they have won the right, through
respect and appreciation, of being an
important element in all walks of life.
The change however did not take
place overnight. In thousands of in
stances women were not prepared for
their new opportunities. Girls had not
grown up with fund of domestic knovl-
edge cleaned from their mothers, and
80 per cent of the women Of Turkey
were not conscious Of their newly ac-
qulred national rights For many years
there were almost no schools for girls.
Even as late as 1926 there were only
$4,000 girls in primary classes, as COM
pared with $4,000 bows In the high
schools there were 10000 boys enrolled
and only 1000 girls, and in the higher
educational institutions the ratio was
even less favorable to females
Over the short period of 20 years.
however the Turkish people have come
to realize the value of education for
girls and also the worth of household
arts. Until the veil was lifted, II a
girl could read and write, speak French
and do little needlework she was con-
| sidered accomplished. Her davs were
spent gossiping, drinking coffee and
munching sweets. The athletic girl
was unknown, and an outing in Turkey
consisted of being roWed to a grassy
picnic spot and sitting under the trees
for hours
|
few needs and no society If they
wanted new dress they waited for
Balram, because 1t was the only social
event OF the year in which they had a
part. Now the needs of women have
multiplied while mems have decreased.
Men are no longer obliged to provide food
and lodging for a vast household, and
the money has passed into inexperi-
enced and spendthrift hands.
nevertheless, the amount of literature
for women has increased and they
have learned to make their own clothes
Go their own cooking and otherwise
manage their households. They have
discovered that women of the Western
World are proud of their own cake
baking and have emulated them, where
as 1t was formerly good taste in Turkey
TO make sure that guests could see the
trademark Of the store where they DUR
chased theirs
But modern women of Turkey have
not stopped at merely coming into their
own on the domestic front where once
their husbands did all the thinking and
managing. Gradually they have entered
almost every branch of public endeavor.
Only a few years ago the first Turkish
actress and the first woman doctor ap-
peared. and such a debut was considered
daring. Now women are making Turk
ish cinemas. and there are more than
100 woman doctors, and the professio2
among women is growing apace.
At Ankara, the capital women are
now employed in the various government
Offices and are eligible to advancement
as departmental heads. Women have
become town councillors, and in a few
instances they hold judgeships. Their
participation in national affairs gener-
ally has gradually increased
Professional women are pioneering in
many lines. There are woman dentists,
lecturers, travel bureau assistants. IL
brarians, telegraphers, guides. postal
employees editors and lawyers. Some
are proprietors Of sewing and embroid-
cry establishments and some have taken
charge Of farms upon the death OF their
husbands. They have even encroached
upon the territory OF the public scribes
in the mosque yards, where the only
equipment they need is a typewriter.
In a few cases there are public
spirited women who work. despite the
fact that their husbands are amply
|