An analysis of gender- focused articles by women journalists from the Ottoman Empire to the young Republic

Throughout history, women have been framed in a social framework, squeezed into the roles of "good daughter" "good wife", and "good mother". Despite having been deeply internalized by women across all strata of society for many years, these roles gradually came under scrutiny—particularly in the context of emerging class distinctions—ultimately paving the way for structural reforms and, in time, revolutionary transformations. In this social transformation, women were one of the strongest supporters; over time, they realized that they could achieve their own freedom and chose to stand against the patriarchal order. The main purpose of this research is to focus on pioneering women journalists such as Fatma Aliye, Emine Semiye, Halide Edip Adıvar and Sabiha Sertel in the historical process extending from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Turkey, to reveal their struggle in the context of gender and the analysis of the articles they published on these issues. In this context, the study aims to analyze how women' s demands of the period were handled through themes such as "right to education, participation in working life, political representation, presence in the public sphere, motherhood roles and social life" that came to the fore in the texts written by the journalists in question. The central focus of the study is how women journalists were positioned not only as witnesses but also as active subjects in social transformation. The articles written by women writers were obtained from secondary sources and systematically examined using the document analysis method. As a result of the research, it has been revealed that these four women became the voice of women through the written pres, stood resolutely against gender inequality and left a legacy of struggle that inspired the next generations. In this respect, the study aims to shed light on the historical freedom struggle of women.