Religion, patriarchy and female employment in Turkey: the case of faith-based organizations

ABSTRACT

Despite years of efforts, the female employment rate in Turkey is significantly low compared to the developed and even some developing countries, whose underlying factors need to be investigated. This study intends to contribute to the literature by exploring the impact of faith-based attitudes and behaviours in hindering women’s employment by focusing on the case of faith-based aid organizations (FBOs) through six in-depth interviews conducted at FBOs located in generally conservative districts of Istanbul. The findings indicate that institutionalized and non-institutionalized FBOs differ in their approach to female employment. The non-institutionalized FBOs surveyed do not plan to employ women on a professional basis but benefit from the female workforce on a voluntary basis. The institutionalized FBOs, however, employ women in their office, yet in a segregated way and in positions they deem suitable for women’s emotional, patient and manageable character.

KEYWORDS:

• Female employment
• patriarchy
• religion
• faith-based organizations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Shalwar (baggy trousers), entari (loose robe), caftan, and cardigans, used as shirts and upper garment, were the basic pieces of Ottoman men’s clothing (Kurnaz 1991, 33), which, as noted were banned in the early Republican period. Today, men in such attire can only be seen in daily life and private institutions, but such attire is not allowed in public institutions.

2. Iftar is the term used for the time when the Muslims end their fasts, usually being used to refer to dinners during Ramadan. It is common in Turkey for charities and foundations to hold large public iftars.

3. Using the Turkish term ‘hanım,’ as opposed Turkish term for woman, ‘kadın’.

4. For example, the report published by Turkish Banking Union, stipulates that in the banking sector men do work in offices on a regular basis in equal numbers with women – as of September 2017, 51% women vs 49% men (Türkiye Bankalar Birliği 2017).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sakine Arslan-Erbaş

Sakine Arslan Erbaş has phd degree on Political Science and International Relations Department at Yeditepe University. She has been in University of Bath as a visiting phd student in last part of doctorate program. Currently, Sakine Arslan Erbaş is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences of the University of Nişantaşı, Istanbul (Turkey). She is also a member of Women and Family Studies Application and Research Center in the University. Her research interests include female employment, patriarchy, social assistance social policy institutions and social innovation.