Gender Equality in the Labour Market in Turkey as a Candidate Country of the European Union

Abstract

This diploma thesis deals with gender equality in the labour market in Turkey as a candidate country of the European Union. The aim of this thesis is to find out and explain the differences regarding gender equality in the labour market in Turkey and the seven selected Member States of the European Union: Finland, Sweden, Slovenia, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta and Hungary. Six of these Member States were selected based on their ranking in the Global Gender Gap Index, the seventh country, Croatia, was selected as it is the newest Member State. The sub-aim is to find out if Turkey is close to fulfilling the Copenhagen Criteria to become a Member State of the European Union and how the country fulfils criteria related to gender equality.The thesis is divided into three parts. First, the theoretical part of this thesis describes basic terminology of human rights, gender equality and enlargement policy of the European Union. It also describes the concepts and definitions of human rights, the European Union’s legislation on gender equality, the European Union’s strategies for achieving gender equality and the whole process of enlargement as well as conditionality and Europeanization. The second part focuses on gender equality in Turkey itself in the context of country’s accession to the European Union and gender equality in Turkey and its strategies for achieving gender equality. It also further analyses the selected chapters of the Acquis Communautaire, the political and economic criteria of Copenhagen and the economic obstacles for Turkey’s membership in the European Union. The practical part of this thesis analyses gender equality in education, gender equality in the labour market and the gender pay gap between Turkey and the seven selected Member States of the European Union, it examines the reasons for inequality in education and in the labour market between men and women in these selected countries.