72 pct of women in Turkey believe streets are not safe: Survey

Elif Ergu – ISTANBUL

Some 72 percent of women in Turkey believe streets are not safe, a survey conducted through meetings with 14,000 women across 34 provinces has shown. 

The results of the “Research to Understand Women” survey were revealed by Avon Turkey General Manager Orkun Gül and Ipsos Deputy CEO Neslihan Sezer. 

The two issues women were most afraid of were terror and domestic violence, the results showed. 

“Two years ago the fear of terror didn’t rank first. Now, when we look at the results, women are more traditional and conservative compared to the past,” Sezer said about the findings, adding that some 57 percent of women told researchers they were devoted to their traditions and that they did not easily give up on their habits. 

According to the survey, 75 percent of women believe people were happier in previous times. 

The results showed that women did not want to be neighbors with alcohol consumers, homosexuals and unmarried couples, with figures at 64, 61 and 44 percent respectively. 

While three out of every 10 women said they or a relative of theirs were subjected to domestic violence, with 20.8 percent of women citing violence as the reason for their divorce. 

Following the fear of terror, women said they were afraid of violence and harassment the most. According to the survey, four out of every 10 women were victims of domestic violence.

Some 73 percent of women said taking effective measures against domestic violence can decrease the number of such cases. 

The biggest ambition of women in Turkey is to provide a good future for their children, according to the survey. Their ambitions were followed by seeking their own jobs and buying a house. Six out of every 10 women are concerned about their children’s future, while one out of every four women dream of leaving everything and moving to a simpler life.

A total of 72 percent of women believe streets are not safe, while two out of every 10 women do not feel safe in their neighborhoods after it gets dark. In addition, one out of every 10 women does not feel safe in her neighborhood in daylight. 

According to the survey, some 74 percent of women do not use credit cards, while 73 percent do not have driving licenses. 

Eight out of every 10 women almost never go to entertainment places such as nightclubs and bars, while seven out of every 10 women do not go to theaters, concerts or operas. 

The number of illiterate women was recorded as five times more than men. The average marriage age for women was 24, while it was 30 for men. 

According to the survey, women spend four hours and 17 minutes on average at home on family maintenance. Meanwhile, the ration of women’s participation in the workforce is half of what it is for men. 

Six out of every 10 women said they believe they carry many responsibilities and that they have a hard time while trying to complete all of them. Half of the women who participated in the survey said they can earn less in order to spend more time on themselves and their families. 

In addition, nearly half of the women expressed that men and women have equal rights in Turkey. One out of four women said it was not appropriate for women to earn more than their husbands.

Five out of every 10 women visit their relatives once every two weeks or more, while one out of five women said they often meet their friends at home.

Some 48 percent of women have said their favorite hobby was to bake. 

According to the survey, one out of every four women has obesity.