26 women killed in Turkey in first two months of 2013

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Hürriyet Photo

Some 26 women and three children were killed as a result of domestic violence within the first two months of 2013 in Turkey, while 22 women were raped in the same period, according to Republican People’s Party (CHP) Ankara deputy Aylin Nazlıaka.

During a press meeting in the Parliament, Nazlıaka also reported that 40 women and one infant were exposed to domestic violence, while 17 women had been sexually harassed within the period.

According to a study by the Association for the Support of Women Candidates (KA-DER), the rate of women in local administrative positions stands at just 1.2 percent, she said. Also, while a total of 1,159 men have been elected as mayors of provincial centers in 17 elections since 1930, only six women have been elected to the same position during this period.

Nazlıaka also noted that Turkey is yet to see a female president and added that there have only been female Cabinet ministers in 17 of Turkey’s 61 administrations.

According to Nazlıaka, the male workforce participation rate is 71.8 percent of the total male population, while it is only 30.2 percent for women.