The issue of gender inequality in Turkey is not merely composed of the cold figures found in academic articles or official reports; it is a reality situated at the very heart of our lives, from the metrobus we board in the morning to the division of labor at the family dinner table. As a university student, when I look around, I realize more clearly every day how this inequality is sometimes blatant and sometimes insidiously normalized under the guise of “culture” or “tradition.” It is possible to trace the marks of this discrimination even on our own campus.
Actually, it all starts within the nuclear family. For instance, let’s look at the simplest domestic operations. In most of my friends’ homes, setting the table, doing the dishes, or general cleaning is still seen as “the girl’s duty.” Brothers or fathers, however, are usually kept out of these processes, hosted almost like guests. This situation is encoded into our minds at a young age: “The woman is responsible for the home, the man for the outside world.” This seemingly simple domestic division lays the groundwork for the glass ceilings or wage gaps in future professional life. Even as women’s participation in education increases, the “invisible workload” on their shoulders never diminishes because society expects a woman to be both a career professional and a flawless housewife.
During our education, especially in university corridors, we live in an illusion that everything is equal. We think of ourselves as students with equal rights while sitting in the canteen or attending lectures. However, as graduation approaches and contact with the real world increases, things begin to change. Questions directed at my female friends during job interviews, such as “Do you have plans to marry?” or “Are you considering having children soon?”, are brutal reflections of gender roles in the professional world. These questions, which are never asked—nor even suggested to be asked—to men, feed off the prejudice that a woman’s labor could be interrupted at any moment due to “familial responsibilities.” The fact that female labor force participation in Turkey still lags far behind that of men is not just an economic choice; it is a direct result of this entrenched mindset.
There is also the reflection of this issue on the streets: the realm of safety and freedom. While a male student walking home late from the library thinks only about the duration of the commute or his exam grades, dozens of different defense scenarios run through a female student’s head. Dealing with questions like “Which street is brighter? Can I walk comfortably in this outfit? Is my phone charged?” is a psychological inequality in itself. The fact that streets and public spaces remain a “battleground” for women is one of the issues we must reflect on most as we head toward 2026. We must establish an order where no one asks, “What was she doing there at that hour?” and where clothes or timing are not judged.
We must not forget the role of media and popular culture. Female characters who are constantly crying, victimized, or defined only as a man’s wife/girlfriend—paired with “tough, aggressive, emotionless” male figures—calcify these social roles every single day. The image of the “strong man” we see on television actually puts immense pressure on men as well. No matter how much awareness we, the youth, try to gain, these clichés pumped from screens every evening incredibly slow down the pace of change.
Ultimately, gender inequality is not just a woman’s problem for women to solve. It is a systemic problem that pulls down every segment of society and hinders our potential. No one benefits from a system where men are forced to suppress their emotions under the obligation to “always appear strong,” and women’s dreams are restricted. As university youth, we can break this cycle by at least changing our own language and perspective. Equality will truly come to life not just in laws or on paper, but when it begins with the division of labor in the kitchen, promotions in the office, and most importantly, mutual respect on the street. It is up to us to tear down these invisible walls, one by one.
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