Education of women from the Ottoman Empire to modern Turkey
Education of women from the Ottoman Empire to modern Turkey

Summary/Abstract: The study of the education of women in the Turkish educational system is usually divided into two periods. The first period is from the acceptance of Islam up until the foundation of the Turkish Republic; and the second period is that of the Turkish Republic. These two periods differ not only in their system of education but also in the administration of state, cultural and traditional features. The first period includes the Ottoman Empire, marked by its religion and sultanate system. With the establishment of the Turkish Republic, a democratic and secular country came into being. The system of the education of women spans a period which includes these two periods. The aim of this article is to explain the changes in the education of women from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Turkey. The following two hypotheses will be investigated: 1. the education of women was not advanced during the Ottoman Empire 2. the education of women did, however, improve in the Turkish Republic. This article is based on historical research and draws statistical support from the women’s information network in Turkey, posted on the website of the Republic of Turkey’s Prime Ministerial State Institute of Statistics.

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