Participation of women in political life in local goverment: 2014-2019 elections Bilecik province example

There have been inequalities based on gender differences in all societies throughout the history. Politics lies behind why these differences affect society at this level. Women who struggle to exist in politics try to ensure equality between men and women by struggling for existence in all areas of life. Even though certain developments have occurred with the development of societies, women's place has always been one step behind men in the economic, social and political areas. In this study, firstly, the focus is on politics and local politics, the concepts of political participation and representation, and the factors affecting political participation. In the second part of the study, the concept of local government is included and the local government units in Türkiye are explained by listing. Throughout the historical process, women's participation in political life in local governments in Türkiye is included, and the factors that prevent women's participation in political life are explained. Women's participation and representation in political life in local governments in Bilecik province, which is the basis of the study, is included in the third chapter. The election results of 2014 and 2019 in Bilecik were evaluated and examined within the scope of equality between men and women and added to the research. A hermeneutic method was followed in this study. The research progressed on following, accsessing, reading and interpreting existing academic information. Scientific documents, academic books, articles, theses and analyses, literature scanning methods were used, and in addition, the election representation of the local administrations of Bilecik province was accessed through YSK (Yüksek Seçim Kurulu). Data from official web pages showing member qualifications (gender distribution) within local government units were added and all these data were intended to be evaluated from a new perspective. In this research, it is aimed to examine in more detail the steps taken to enable women, who are wanted to remain in the background in the changing and developing world, to be in political life and to add research within the scope of gender, equality, freedom and democracy.