Gender Equality MARCH 2020 Gender Equality | Page 3

been brought on gender equality and violence against women in accordance with the recent
conditions (10 June 2005). Additionally, concerning the problems in the implementation process the
Family Protection Law , which came into force 17 January 1998 in order to prevent violence against
women, has been amended. With this amendment process protection measures regarding victims of
violence have been varied ( 4 May 2007). With these reformist amendments made in the last decade
in Turkish laws, there is not any legal barrier left concerning gender equality.
This has been tremendously important development in terms of generating effective results of
politics. In pursuit of these important legal developments, in order to reflect legally provided gender
equality into implementation process intensive efforts have been carried out and also a large
number of regulations and circulars have been put into effect to guide and to eliminate uncertainty
that encountered during implementation. In our country, National Development Plans which are
prepared by State Planning Organization for 5 years period are the fundamental policy document in
policy development and implementation processes. From her foundation Turkey gives importance
to the planned growth and since 1963 she has been preparing 5 year National Development Plans.
Among these Plans, Fifth 5 Year Development Plan came into force in 1985 was the first one that
took women issues as a sector and develop specific policy priorities for women. 2 The latest one of
these plans, which are prepared so as to improve economic, social and cultural structure by taking
into consideration international obligations and needs of the country, is the Ninth 5 Year
Development Plan that covers the 2007-2013 period.
The Plan considers “promoting education and vocational training opportunities for women in order
to increase their participation to economic and social life, improving employability of women and
proceeding combating domestic violence” among priorities. In order to mainstream gender equality
into public policies and strengthening the socioeconomic status of women in our country, “The
National Action Plan Gender Equality” covering 2008-2013 period has been prepared in accordance
with the above mentioned Ninth 5 Year Development Plan by national machinery General
Directorate on the Status of Women (KSGM). Aforesaid National Plan has been prepared with a
scope of covering the titles of “Women and Education”, “Women and Economy”, “Women and
Poverty”, “Women and Health”, “Women and Power and Decision-making Processes”, “Women and
Environment”, “Women and Media”, and “Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of
Women” which are among the critical areas determined in the Beijing Platform for Action. As for the
critical areas named “Women’s Human Rights” and “Girl Children”, they have been taken into
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