Gender Equality in Basic Education:Feminist Constructions of the EU

Cin, Melis and Karlidag-Dennis, Ecem (2021) Gender Equality in Basic Education:Feminist Constructions of the EU. In: Feminist Framing of the Europeanisation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 229-249. ISBN 9783030527693

Abstract

This chapter focusses on gender equality initiatives in basic education in Turkey. Drawing from documentary analysis (i.e., Ministry of National Education, teacher unions and European Union [EU] reports and newspapers), we argue that the gender equality aspect of the education agenda in Turkey has a normative conceptual policy goal that relies heavily on tangible and measurable outcomes and frames an intervention strategy based on numerical parity. There have been various attempts at collaboration with the EU to focus on quality and qualitative aspects of gender equality that could bring about more sustainable changes, such as the training of staff or revision of textbooks. However, they have only led to a selective norm adoption and application. Despite the EU co-financing projects and the policies being changed to comply with EU directives, gender equality norms are not fully practised in education and at schools; the education system continues to replicate the status quo and reproduce inequalities and gendered identities. Towards this, the chapter first presents the historical progress of gender discourse in education and then concludes with a discussion on how and why the EU and Turkey should broaden their understanding of gender equality.