‘No room for patriarchal excuses’

ANKARA

The rate of women students receiving university education has increased from 14 percent to 30 to since 2002 and “no room remains for patriarchal excuses,” such as families refusing to send daughters away for university, because universities have been opened in each province, Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin has said.

“This progress mostly favors girls,” Şahin said. Pointing out that she is herself from Gaziantep, Şahin said many fathers in the southeastern region of Turkey do not want to send their daughters to another city for patriarchal reasons.

“Universities have been established in each province. Especially those from the southeastern region know that well. Some fathers say ‘I want my daughter to be educated, but cannot let her go to another city.’ No room remains for these patriarchal excuses anymore. Girls will be able to receive education in their hometowns. This is a great transformation,” Şahin said, according to a report by daily Akşam.

Universities have been established in each Turkish province, and the number of state universities has grown to 103, with private universities numbering 65, Şahin said.