7 Women in Rural Areas and Analytical Approaches to Empowerment of Women

In Turkey, the ratio of the rural population within the total population remained the same between 1927 and 1950, and it constituted approximately 75% of the total population. After the1950s, the rural-to-urban migration increased, and this ratio eventually decreased to 68.1% in 1960, 61.5% in 1970, 56.1% in 1980, and 34.9% in 1997. It is observed that while three quarters of the population were living in rural areas in 1950s, this ratio dropped to one quarter of the population within registrations of approximately the Turkish 50 Statistical years Institute (Dinler,(TÜI 2008).. K) When address-based were examined, it was observed that rural-to-urban migration continued in the 2000s, and the ratio of rural population decreased population was found to be to 8% 22.7%(TÜI in. K, 2012. 2015). In 2013 These and changes 2014, the were ratio anticipated of rural until 2012, however, the rural population ratios estimated in 2013 and 2014 are misleading. With the “Law on Amendment of some Laws and Statutory Decrees with Establishment of Metropolitan Municipalities in Thirteen Provinces and Establishment of Twenty-Six New Districts” No: 6360 enacted on 12 November 2012, many rural areas gained neighborhood status. Thus, the ratio of rural population decreased from 22.7% to approximately 8% overnight. Due to educational deprivation and inequality of opportunity, yield loss in agriculture, divided lands, lack of employment opportunities in sectors other than agriculture, the significance of rural areas has been gradually decreasing. Since men either do not work or have to work in other sectors such as construction and tourism due to insufficient …