There has been a decrease in the rate of individuals, both men and women, who agree with sexist perceptions in Turkey over the past decade, according to a survey conducted by the Konda polling company.
The survey, titled “Gender Equality Perception Change Report,” was conducted on 2,550 people across the country between February 16 and 18. The report revealed a positive trend in gender equality perception but emphasized the need for further acceleration in this trend.
According to the poll the percentage of those who think the perception that “A woman should obtain permission from her husband to work” is “right” or “absolutely right” decreased from 66 percent to 48 percent over the past decade. This rate stood at 51 percent for men and 43 percent for women.
When asked about the perception that “It would be a problem if a woman earns more money than her husband,” only 29 percent of participants agreed. This rate was 37 percent in 2015. As income level increases, the percentage of those who disagree with the statement also increases, the survey results showed.
The percentage of men who say they do cleaning at home has risen from 18 percent to 53 percent in the last decade, while the percentage of women has also increased from 86 percent to 93 percent.
Whether working or not, men claim to spend an average of seven hours a week on household chores, while it was observed that non-working women spend 10 more hours on housework per week (24 hours) compared to those who work (14 hours).
Although the rate of people who agreed with the statement “Women, by nature, cannot be good managers” declined from 23 to 10 percent in the last decade, the majority of Turks still argue that “The primary duty of a woman is to take care of the household and raise children.” Those who agreed with the statement have decreased from 66 percent to 57 percent since 2015.
Among seven virtues listed, honesty (67 percent) and the ability to stand up for one’s rights (35 percent) were mentioned as the two qualities that girls should “absolutely acquire,” while for boys they were honesty (65 percent) and loyalty to the homeland and nation (36 percent).
The rate of people emphasizing the importance of the quality of standing up for one’s rights has increased by 17 points for girls and 11 points for boys over the past decade.
Women at all levels of education in Turkey have lower wages than their male counterparts, with the pay gap being the largest among university graduates, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported in March, citing Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data.
The gap was 12.4 percent among people with an elementary school education or less; 12.8 percent among people with a secondary education; 16 percent among high school graduates; and 17.1 percent among people with an advanced degree.
