The place of women in politics in Turkey: The case of Adana province

The history of the women's movement, stretching from the Ottoman Period to today's Turkey, goes back many years. When women started the struggle, they struggled to prove that they were individuals before the struggle for political rights. Afterwards, women who succeeded in making themselves accepted as citizens started the struggle for political rights. With the effect of the period accepted as the first wave feminism initiated by women after the French Revolution, the struggle for suffrage started in Turkey and women had the right to vote and be elected in 1934. From this date to the present, women's struggle for equality has continued. In the 87 years that have passed since they gained the right to vote and to be elected, unfortunately, the representation rate of women in local and national politics has remained below 50%. In this study, the reasons why women cannot take part in politics and the process of women taking part in politics are mentioned. In this context, in the field research conducted in Adana, 9 political party members and 1 non-governmental organization member were interviewed. In the research, "How do women participate in politics in Adana province?" search for an answer to the question. Based on 5 basic propositions in the field research, these propositions were confirmed in the conclusion. We can say that the low rate of women in politics is mainly due to the unequal distribution of gender norms and their unequal adoption by the society. Although the recommendations in the conclusion part are implemented by political parties and the government, we can say that these recommendations will not be effective in the long run unless gender norms are equally adopted by the society. Keywords: Female Members in Political Parties, Political Representation and Participation, Political Representation of Women