Gender Politics in Turkey and Russia : From State Feminism to Authoritarian Rule

Both Russia and Turkey were pioneering examples of feminism in the early twentieth century, when the Bolshevik and Republican states embraced an ideology of women’s equality. Yet now these countries have drifted towards authoritarianism and the concept of gender is being invoked to reinforce tradition, nationalism and to oppose Western culture. Huriye Gökten Doğangün’s book explores the relationship between the state and gender equality in Russia and Turkey, covering the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the Republican Revolution of 1923 and highlighting the very different gender climates that have emerged under the leaderships of Putin and Erdogan. The research is based on analysis of legal documents, statistical data and reports, as well as in-depth interviews with experts, activists and public officials. Doğangün identifies a climate of ‘neo-traditionalism’ in contemporary Russia and ‘neo-conservatism’ in contemporary Turkey and examines how Putin and Erdogan’s ambitions to ensure political stability, security and legitimacy are achieved by promoting commonly held ‘family values’, grounded in religion and tradition. The book reveals what it means to be a woman in Turkey and Russia today and covers key topics such as hostility towards feminism, women’s employment, domestic violence, motherhood and abortion. Doğangün provides the first comparative study that seeks to understand the escalation of patriarchy and the decline of democracy which is being witnessed across the world. Cover Contents List of Abbreviations Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Gender, State, Legitimacy Methodology Structure of the Book Part 1 Discourses on Gender in Early Modernization, Transition and Authoritarian Eras in USSR/Russia and Turkey 1 Gender Climate in the Soviet and Republican Periods Tracing the Woman Question in the Russian/Soviet and Ottoman-Turkish Contexts Early Legal Changes in the USSR and Early Republican Turkey The Image of Soviet and Republican Woman Political Activism of Soviet and Republican Women: The Zhenotdel and the Turkish Women’s Union 2 Transition to Democracy, Market Economy and Gender (In)Equality? The Legacy of the Late Soviet Era The Retreat of the Socialist State in Early Post-Soviet Russia Post-Soviet Notions of Femininity and Masculinity Legal Framework and Gender Equality Mechanism Women’s Civic Activism and Feminism The Experience of Women of Russia The Emergence of a Feminist Movement in Turkey The Early Legal Amendments The Establishment of a National Gender Equality Mechanism The Islamist Movement and the European Union 3 Rising Authoritarianism in Russia and Turkey The Characteristics of the Political Regime under the Rule of Putin and Erdoğan The Conceptualization of Democracy: Sovereign Democracy versus Conservative Democracy The Changing Course of Relations with the West Social Dissent: The Bolotnaya Protests and Pussy Riot, and the Gezi Movement 4 The Rise of Sexism in Political Discourse Gender as a Marker of National Authenticity, Identity and Unity Promotion of Family at the Intersection of Patriarchy, Tradition and Religion Institutional Shifts Political Masculinity Part 2 Gender Climate Under Authoritarian Politics in Russia and Turkey 5 Vulnerability of Russian and Turkish Women in the Labour Market The State Approach to Women’s Employment in Russia and Turkey Extended Maternity Leave Schemes in Russia and Turkey Gender-Segregated Labour Market in Russia and Turkey Care Work Policies in Russia and Turkey 6 Pro-Natalism and the Rediscovery of Motherhood The Conceptualization of Motherhood by the Russian and Turkish States Abortion Policy in Russia and Turkey Maternity Capital in Russia 7 Combatting Domestic Violence in Russia and Turkey Concluding Remarks Gender Climate in the Soviet and early Republican Periods Neo-Traditional/Conservative Gender Climate in Russia and Turkey Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Notes Bibliography Index "Both Russia and Turkey were pioneering examples of feminism in the early 20th Century, when the Bolshevik and Republican states embraced an ideology of women's equality. Yet now these countries have drifted towards authoritarianism and the concept of gender is being invoked to reinforce tradition, nationalism and to oppose Western culture. Gökten Dogangün's book explores the relationship between the state and gender equality in Russia and Turkey, covering the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the Republican Revolution of 1923 and highlighting the very different gender climates that have emerged under the leaderships of Putin and Erdogan. The research is based on analysis of legal documents, statistical data and reports, as well as in-depth interviews with experts, activists and public officials. Dogangün identifies a climate of 'neo-traditionalism' in contemporary Russia and 'neo-conservatism' in contemporary Turkey and examines how Putin and Erdogan's ambitions to ensure political stability, security and legitimacy are achieved by promoting commonly held 'family values', grounded in religion and tradition. The book reveals what it means to be a woman in Turkey and Russia today and covers key topics such as hostility towards feminism, women's employment, domestic violence, motherhood and abortion. Dogangün provides the first comparative study that seeks to understand the escalation of patriarchy and the decline of democracy which is being witnessed across the world."-- Provided by publisher "Both Russia and Turkey were pioneering examples of feminism in the early 20th Century, when the Bolshevik and Republican states embraced an ideology of women's equality. Yet now these countries have drifted towards authoritarianism and the concept of gender is being invoked to reinforce tradition, nationalism and to oppose Western culture. Gökten Dogangün's book explores the relationship between the state and gender equality in Russia and Turkey, covering the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the Republican Revolution of 1923 and highlighting the very different gender climates that have emerged under the leaderships of Putin and Erdogan. The research is based on analysis of legal documents, statistical data and reports, as well as in-depth interviews with experts, activists and public officials. Dogangün identifies a climate of 'neo-traditional" in contemporary Russia and "neo-conservatism" in contemporary Turkey and examines how Putin and Erdogan's ambitions to ensure political stability, security and legitimacy are achieved by promoting commonly held "family values," grounded in religion and tradition. The book reveals what it means to be a woman in Turkey and Russia today and covers key topics such as hostility towards feminism, women's employment, domestic violence, motherhood and abortion. Dogangn̈ provides the first comparative study that seeks to understand the escalation of patriarchy and the decline of democracy which is being witnessed across the world."--Bloomsbury Publishing.