In order to better understand Turkey’s struggles for democratization and descent into authoritarianism since 1980, we examined, in earlier chapters, how Islamists contested the secular nature of the Turkish state before they came to power, and how Kurds challenged the ethnic nationalism of the Turkish state. Another challenge to Turkey’s democracy came from women who criticized the illiberal nature of civil rights in the country and demanded the expansion of their rights as women.

This chapter examines the women’s movement in the context of democratization, globalization, and evolving authoritarianism in Turkey. The women’s movement that emerged in the early 1980s and flourished through the participation of different groups was important as a democratizing force. Women who voiced demands for rights in the political arena introduced new issues and perspectives that expanded the borders of the political and accelerated the inclusion of more women in politics.