Women and family issues reflected in the Turkish Grand National Assembly in the early years of the Republic (1923-1938)

The social status of Turkish women has undergone significant transformations throughout history. While women held a strong position in social and political life during the Ottoman period, they gradually became marginalized, particularly under the influence of Islamic law. However, the modernization movements that began with the Tanzimat and the Second Constitutional Era brought substantial progress in women's education and participation in social life, leading to an increase in their efforts to organize and express their ideas. With the establishment of the Republic, a period began in which women achieved significant gains in social, economic, and political rights. The Law on the Unification of Education (Tevhid-i Tedrisat Kanunu) expanded educational opportunities, while co-education and the adoption of the Latin alphabet raised the level of women's education and marked important steps toward gender equality. The Civil Code secured women's rights in matters such as marriage and divorce, while banning polygamy. In the economic sphere, women's participation in the workforce increased; they began to find places in fields such as industry, the service sector, and civil service, while legal regulations guaranteed their social rights. Women's involvement in the labor force was significant for both individual and societal development. At the same time, women actively took part in social life by establishing various associations and demanding political rights. One of the most important achievements, the right to vote and stand for election, was granted to Turkish women earlier than in many other countries, making it possible for women to take part in political life. However, the research has revealed that the women deputies who entered Parliament in 1935 played only a limited role in the legislative activities of the period, rarely addressed women and family issues, and largely remained in the background during the debates and discussions. Within the scope of this thesis, all these developments have been examined in detail for the period between 1923 and 1938, primarily through the minutes of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (Zabıt Cerideleri), as well as archival documents and supplementary sources, in an effort to shed light on the era in question.