64.2 percent of Turkey’s society says ‘woman's main duty isn’t childcare, housework’

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The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), producing official statistics on Turkey, has released the Family Structure Survey for 2021.

When the perceptions of individuals about women's work are analyzed; while the proportion of those who think women's work and contribution to social life is valuable is 82.6 percent, the proportion of those who think woman's main duty is childcare and housework is 35.8 percent.

Perceptions about women's work by sex, 2021

Some highlights from the TurkStat data are as follows:

When the person who generally did housework in households was analyzed, it was seen that all houseworks except for painting the house was generally undertaken by one household member. When the housework done by the household member is analyzed by sex, it is mostly done by women, childcare with 94.4 percent, laundry with 85.6 percent, cooking with 85.4 percent.

Decision on spending by men, on food by women

When the selected topics related to the household are examined; it was seen the household members make joint decision regarding the form and place of vacation with 94.7 percent, in activities such as eating, drinking and entertainment held outside the home with the family with 94.2 percent, and on relations with relatives with 93.3 percent.

When the individuals who decide on selected issues alone in the household are analyzed by sex, it was seen that the issues that men decide more than women alone are in the prioritization of expenditures with 8.2 percent and the type and place of vacation with 2.9 percent. It was seen that the first three issues that women decide on their own more than men are about what to cook/eat at home with 27.7 percent, daily shopping with 14.7 percent and the needs of children such as clothing with 11.7 percent.

Women married earlier than men

When the age at first marriage of married, his/her wife/husband dead and divorced individuals were examined, it was seen that 36.9 percent of first marriages are between the ages of 20-24, 23.5 percent are between the ages of 25-29 and 16.5 percent are between the ages of 18-19.

When first marriage age was analyzed by sex, it was observed that women got married earlier age than men. While the proportion of women who got married before the age of 18 was 24.2 percent, it was 4.4 percent for men. While the proportion of women who had their first marriage between the ages of 18-19 was 23.0 percent, it was 8.9 percent for men.

56.8 percent of first marriages: Arranged marriage

When mate selection characteristics of people who had marriage experience (married, widowed and divorced) was analyzed, it was seen that across the country, 46.1 percent of first marriages was arranged marriages with his/her decision,10.7 percent of first marriages was arranged marriages with the decision of their family without taking his/her opinion.

The proportion of people who selected spouse with their own decision and family's approval was 34.9 percent. The proportion of people who married with their own decision without family's consent was 2.7 percent. The proportion of eloping/being eloped marriages was 5.3 percent.

When marriage behaviour of married people was analyzed with respect to sex, it was observed that 46.3 percent of first marriages of women arranged marriage with her decision, it was 45.9 percent for men.

The proportion of women who experienced arranged marriages with the decision of their family without taking her opinion was 12.5 percent, it was 8.6 percent for men. While the proportion of women who selected their spouse with their own decision and family's approval was 32.7 percent, it was 37.5 percent for men. The proportion of women who married on their own decision without family's consent was 2.8 percent. Similarly, this proportion for men was 2.6 percent.

When the marriage behavior of married people was analyzed with respect to education, it was seen that as the educational status of people increased, the proportion of marriages with people's own decision increased and the proportion of arranged marriages decreased.

While the proportion of people who did not finish any school and selected his/her spouse with their own decision and family's approval was 10.3 percent, this proportion for people with higher education school, faculty, master/doctorate graduates was 71.7 percent.

Priority to education: A reason for not marrying

The proportion of individuals aged 15 and over who do not plan/decide to marry in the next 3 years was 80.1 percent.

29.5 percent of these individuals stated that they did not think of getting married because they prioritized education, 11.9 percent did not have sufficient income, and 10.2 percent did not meet a suitable person to marry.

When the reasons for not considering marriage are analyzed by sex; the most important reason was to give priority to education life for both genders. This proportion was 29.3 percent for women and 29.8 percent for men. After giving priority to education for men, the reasons not considering marriage were 22.5 percent because of insufficient financial gain and 11.2 percent for lack of job guarantee. The reasons for not considering getting married after giving priority to education for women were health problems with 11.5 percent and not having met a suitable person for marriage with 11.1 percent.

Spouses mostly had problem about expenditures

When married individuals who had problems with their spouses often or always analyzed on defined subjects, it was seen that 5.6 percent of spouses had problems about expenditures. This reason was followed by not spending time with the whole family with 5.5 percent, insufficiency of his/her income with 4.9 percent, responsibilities regarding the house with 3.7 percent and smoking habit with 3.6 percent respectively.

Reasons of of divorce

When divorce reasons of individuals who had divorced at least once (regardless of their marital status at the time of the interview and according to the last divorce event of the individuals who have been divorced more than once) were analyzed, irresponsible and indifferent attitudes took the first place with 32.2 percent. It was followed by cheating with 14.1 percent, being unable to provide financially for the family with 9.8 percent, and beating/maltreatment with 8.1 percent.

When divorce reasons were analyzed by sex the most important reason of divorce was irresponsible and careless attitude for both gender. While this proportion for women was 24.2 percent, it was 41.2 percent for men.

Most important divorce reasons for men, after irresponsible and careless attitude were elders in family interference in family matters with 11.0 percent and being unable to provide financially for the family with 9.7 percent. On the other hand, most important divorce reasons for women after irresponsible and indifferent attitude were cheating with 19.3 percent and beating/maltreatment with 14.6 percent.,

Life preferences in old age

Life preferences for elderly ages when individuals are too old to take care of themselves by sex, 2021

According to TurkStat, when analyzing how individuals prefer to live when they are too old to take care of themselves, 30.7 percent stated that they want to receive home care services, 27.5 percent want to stay with their children and 15.0 percent want to go to a nursing home.

When it is analyzed how elderly (people aged 65 and over) prefer to live when they are too old to take care of themselves, 46.0 percent of them stated that they want to stay with their children, 31.6 percent of them get home care services and 10.3 percent of them go to a nursing home. (AÖ/SD)