Women in the processes of transition to democracy: The comparison of secular and religious women's movements in Turkey and Tunisia cases

This study analyses women's differing identity perceptions, and their citizenship and civil society practices in Turkey and Tunisia. In this context, by drawing on the citizenship studies, and the literature based on the women's activities in civil society, this study focuses on the women's societal and political activism, their views on the role of state and civil society in society, as well as their perceptions on the womanhood and family. Women visible in the secular and Islamic platforms, and their common and differentiating views are discussed through comparative historical analysis between the two cases and semi structured interviews. Presenting an holistic approach between interrelated women, identity, citizenship, state and citizenship issues in two Muslim dominated countries, this study represents a contribution to current civil society and citizenship discussions. In this study, in the context of women's religious and ideological differentiations, women's citizenship and mobilisation practices were scrutinised through qualitative fieldwork. Totally 20 interviews were conducted with women representatives active in different spectrums of civil society organisations in Istanbul, Ankara and Tunis. Through all these data, opportunities and constrains of women's movements in two different state structure were discussed. According to the findings of the study, women in Turkey and Tunisia represent discrete identities on the issues of the constitutive ideology, feminism, womanhood, probable alternative systems, state authority and functions of civil society. It is argued that women's agency role and activism have been shaped to a large extent under structural factors identified by state apparatuses. Keywords : Women, Civil Society, Citizenship, Turkey, Tunisia