51 Women Deputies both at the Parliament and at the Media

The number of women deputies at TBMM reached to 10 % for the first time. 51 women deputies are at the parliament with the help of media in patches. Besides the given support, unfortunately we came upon sexist and discriminatory broadcasts in this election period rather frequently.

For instance:

In the first days of the catchword saying "women are necessary for this parliament" Serdar Turgut in Akşam Neewspaper was the person who gives tongue to and defends the most apparent sexist opinion in this issue by saying that "A country, where women are mentioned, they loom large this amount, does not to be helpful. Our ending is not good. Everybody should know..."

In the first days of election period, Ali Kırca ‘gave the floor to women' by accommodating women from many political parties and women candidates in his programme Siyaset Meydanı [Hippodrome of Politics]. With this programme, TV representation of the mentality in which women are not seen as the actual and political subjects of the parliament was presented. However, as a result of it is surmised even by themselves that gathering male candidates from tens of different parties in the same forum and saying ‘here you are, clash your opinions' was unfair, such a Siyaset Meydanı was not done. Finding it adequate to present the situation of women's political participation to public opinion with such a format: means that being made collateral even in the right to speak, being deprived from denoting yourself and discrimination.

Towards the end of the election process, we saw another net picture in the programme of Bu Sizi İlgilendiriyor [It Concerns You] which was presented by Okan Bayülgen. They could address to the male candidate saying "brother" whereas to woman candidate saying just her name ‘Özlem'. This was found such correct that the request of Özlem Türköne in order to being addressed by her name and surname deem suitable of the long blame of Okan Bayülgen.

And the elections were held. The first news about the 51 women deputies was unfortunately about "their performance of belly dance". Vatan Newspaper reported that ‘Nimet Çubukçu celebrated the election victory performing belly dance'. Nimet Çubukçu confuted the news. Having a special news value, a woman deputy's celebrating her being elected by performing belly dance even she did not or did, was an example of discrimination against women. Forasmuch as we are sure that there were male deputies among all male deputies who celebrated his being elected by performing belly dance. However we did not come upon these kinds of news...

In conclusion, presenting women with their bodies, but not as political actors even they are politicians and in sexist gender roles all the time, is a sexist understanding which blocks the position of women in politics, their act of politics for all and the future of politics. We are reminding to all media workers that this approach has not positive outcomes for anybody and expecting from them not to repeat this approach forthcoming period.

Women's MEDIA WATCH GROUP - MEDİZ