Has a phenomenon been born? Causes, consequences, and strategies of gendering de-democratization in Turkey

Abstract

This article examines how the de-democratization process influences gendered politics and how opposition to gender equality assisted democratic backsliding in Turkey. Drawing on a grounded theory methodology study, this article contends that anti-gender equality policy aided the Justice and Development Party in de-democratizing the political regime. At the same time, women experience different consequences of gendering de-democratization. The evidence from in-depth fieldwork, including fifty-three semistructured interviews, demonstrates that antithetical groups are more exposed to the phenomenon. Findings suggest that anti-gender equality policy influences women’s participation in the labor market, which goes along with further exposure to domestic violence.