How Turkish People Reversed Sexism with One Hashtag
#amanshouldknowhisplace
I don’t know what comes to your mind when someone says “Turkey”. Erdoğan, baklava, the bird? I’m from there so for me it means home. But I know for some foreigners, it might imply less favorable things.
I’m sure the reality of the country is probably better than your perception of it that is influenced by the media. For example, we don't follow Islamic law, people are allowed to wear whatever they want, and women are equal to men according to the constitution. However, I confess that the reality is still far from being ideal.
Certain things are so integrated in our culture that it will take time to see some real change, one prominent subject being sexism. Even though Turkey is one of the first countries that gave women the right to vote — before countries like France, Japan, and Switzerland — it failed to implement the perception that women and men are equal.
One important factor among many is the language. People tend to underestimate the daily language’s power to influence our perception. However, a study has found that linguistic sexism is so effective that it even causes women to be negatively evaluated when seeking a “masculine” or “neutral” office.
