A critical approach to the woman representation: Women's museums in Turkey

The women's museums which are offered the new perspective on museum studies in Turkey, constitute an significant part of women history and representation with their development across the world. The women's museums in the world offer alternative practics for the traditional museums models and also illustrated structural and contextual diversity in Turkey. The women's museums in the world, which have a content-rich working concept, pay particularly attention to based their work on a theoretical background. In addition to their ideologically feminist critical approach, women's museums often appy to the principles of new museology in their curatorial practices. The desire to create a rich discourse, women's museums also give importance to the content of inclusiveness. Thus, new practices are revealed by these museums in order to provide historical integrity of the women's representations. The women's museum which aren't considered seperately from women's movements, constitute an important part of women's struggle with these practices. There are 4 women's museum in different content in Turkey; one of them, Women's Museum Izmir, has own location, and 3 of them, Women's Museum Istanbul, Antalya and Mersin are working on virtual platform. These museums are evaluated respectively in the content of feminism, new museology and inclusiveness within the context of research. It is clearly seen that women'smuseums in Turkey which is considered reflecting new museology in terms of idea and form but it is yet developing about the content. Therefore, the women's museums in Turkey, except for Women's Museum Istanbul, haven't completed the conceptual development yet in the context of both new museology and feminism compared to the women's museum which mostly founded in Europe and America. It is observed that the aim and mission of these museums should be rewieved and need to be increased their activities for inclusiveness and social benefits. Key Words: Feminism, Museum, Women's Museum, New Museology, Inclusiveness.