Women's experiences during the divorce process in the context of gender inequality

Divorce is a phenomenon that must be examined by taking into account its legal, economic, psychological, and sociological effects and consequences. The termination of the family union by court decision may bring about various problems on both individual and societal levels. In families with children, the conventional view assumes that children are the ones most adversely affected by the potential consequences of divorce. Just as the occurrence of divorce and its possible effects are significant, the divorce process itself—along with the experiences of the parties involved, potential conflicts, and how the process is managed—holds substantial importance. When the divorce process is approached from a gender perspective, the experiences of men and women diverge. In countries like Turkey, where social structures are characterized by patriarchal norms and gender-based inequalities, women do not have equal access to socio-economic, cultural, and political resources compared to men. Just as visible and invisible barriers impede women's access to property, education, professions, income-generating employment, and financial resources, similar barriers also exist in women's access to divorce. For this reason, women—particularly in contentious divorce cases—may face loss of rights due to their unequal position in matters such as the division of assets, child custody, compensation, and/or alimony payments. From a feminist perspective, this situation raises questions about the patriarchal nature of law and the ways in which legal provisions are implemented in favor of men. Grounded in the concept and approach of gender, which constitutes the basis of feminist theory, this study aims to analyze the economic, social, legal, and psychological processes experienced by women during divorce, using a sample selected from the province of Aydın."