Women role in soft power of international relations: Turkey case

Abstract

Worldwide, women are still under-represented in leadership positions. Female heads of state or government are still a minority,although the number has increased over the past 20 years. Currently, only approximately one in four members of lower or single housesof parliament worldwide is a woman. In 2018, the number of women presiding over houses of national parliaments was 55. Women arestill largely excluded from the executive branches of government. They are also under-represented among senior-level civil servantsand seldom represent their governments at international level. A number of factors appear to contribute to this under-representation:women are seldom leaders of major political parties, which are instrumental in forming future political leaders. Gender norms andexpectations also reduce the pool of women putting themselves forward for selection as electoral candidates. Women s representationin world politics and decision-making processes indicate main problems based on different spheres in international relations. In thisarticle, while analyzing the role of women in the society first of all, some of the concepts, processes will be overviewed. The articlesexplores that gender discrimination lead underrepresentation of women in international relations. Women s role and place in decisionmakingmechanisms will be evaluated in the gender indicators.Women in government, including prominent examples such as Hillary Clinton, Christine Lagarde, Angela Merkel and MichelleBachelet of Chile, accelerate the modern women’s movement. In 2010, the United Nations took the historic step of championingwomen’s rights when the General Assembly created the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women,better known as UN Women.