Experience of the Syrian women migrating to Turkey through forced migration within the context of rights and gender equality

In this study, observations, opinions and experiences of Syrian women – who immigrated to Turkey through the forced immigration after the war in Syria – on women rights, gender, and gender equality throughout their lives were discussed via their perspectives. The study also investigates whether Syrian women have experienced any change in their perspective and behavior based on gender in their new life after immigrating to Turkey, and reveals what those experiences are using their life story along with the feminist standpoint theory if they have experienced any change. The data used in this study using qualitative approach was collected from three Syrian women, who came to Turkey as a result of forced immigration, through the life story form. In conclusion of the study, it was observed that after immigrating to Turkey, the Syrian women have had some questioning regarding gender equality considering their experiences in their life back in Syria but do not have a strong belief on the fact that women and men can be equal. Although it seems to be effective to have information on women rights after coming to Turkey on their questioning of gender equality, it was observed that they have had quite difficult times transforming their patriarchal codes they adopted. Although the participants advocated that they can be equal with men in areas such as education, workplace or heritage sharing, they could not go beyond this in terms of women's rights. It was observed that the expectations of participating women for the future are not the ones locating them in the center, but the expectations that coincide with the gender roles in patriarchal societies. Keywords: Forced Migration, Women Rights, Gender, Intersectionalism, Feminist Standpoint Theory