Crackdown in Turkey Threatens a Haven of Gender Equality Built by the Kurds

Gender equality, an elusive goal for most nations, is commonly enjoyed in Kurdish towns in Turkey. Women serve alongside men in Kurdish guerrilla units, and governmental decisions concerning women are made by a panel composed solely of women. The gender equality espoused by the Kurds and the pro-Kurdish HDP party have had an impact across the country, even in religious Muslim areas of western Turkey. Yet after a failed coup over the summer, Turkey’s government has cracked down on political opponents and arrested several prominent Kurdish leaders. The crackdown also threatens the HDP’s carefully constructed gender equality, with government agents closing women’s centers and restoring privileges for domestic abusers. The Kurds’ admirable gender equality serves a reminder of the complex political climate in Turkey: The militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, is designated a terrorist organization by Europe, the United States and Turkey, but its progressive stance on women makes western opposition more complicated. – YaleGlobal