Turkey goes to the polls on 14th May while keeping most female candidates at the bottom of the list

Women’s representation in Turkish decision-making bodies is expected to remain modest as reflected through the low number of female candidates at the two largest parties’s candidate list. The Republican People’s Party has allocated 26% seats for their female members while for the The Justice and Development Party the nomination stays at 19%.

The Women Organisations expressed their concerns over this situation considering this a cosmetic change as the most parties seemed to have manipulated the numbers of women on their lists just to meet the gender representation targets while positioning the majority of the female candidates at the bottom of the lists, which limits their electability chances. On May 14th, women and young voters will play a significant role in determining the outcome of the elections.

We admire the role women play in enhancing democracy and support their struggle towards the attainment of the parity in governance and decision-making in Turkey.