Gender Equality MARCH 2020 Gender Equality | Page 6
developments are followed very closely and effective participation of all related parties to such
activities is taken as a fundamental principle. Besides this, as it can be seen in the related parts, a
great deal of implementations are carried out which give importance to participation of men to
mental transformation activities about gender equality and in order to create awareness of men. 4
Part Two Women’s Human Rights Legal Developments Information concerning the developments on
women’s human rights are related actually the information that was stated in the whole report.
Nevertheless, information that has not been stated or the details of which has not been stated in
the other parts will be given place in this part. As it is declared previously in the related parts,
utmost important developments in the field of gender equality have been reached legally in our
country. In this sense, the most important amendments are the ones made in the Constitution
which is legally binding of other Turkish laws and has the highest level in hierarchy of norms. An
amendment was made in 41. article of the Constitution and the provision declaring “The family is
the foundation of Turkish society and it is based on the equality between spouses.” has been added.
Another important amendment made in the Constitution in 2001 is the abolishment of the provision
that includes inequality concerning Turkish citizenship in article 66 through putting forward the
clause saying “The child of Turkish father or Turkish mother is Turk”. In 2004 the clause of “Men and
women have equal rights. The State shall have the obligation to ensure that this equality exists in
practice.” has been added to succeed the first clause of Article 10. Like it has been declared in details
in the first part, by the amendment made in 90. article of the Constitution in 2004 important
progresses have been brought about concerning women’s human rights. The New Turkish Civil Code
put into effect on 1 January 2002 is an important legal arrangement that gives to opportunity to
Turkish society to live the contemporary developments. In the context of gender equality basic
amendments which were introduced in the New Turkish Civil Code are as follows; • The clause
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