Women in Rural Türkiye: Navigating Barriers in Access to Resources, Services, and Decision-Making

Women in rural areas of Türkiye make vital contributions to all aspects of life in their communities and households, from the production of goods and services to agriculture and livestock farming to providing the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work. Despite their essential roles, their unique needs, priorities, and the challenges they face in social, economic, and domestic domains are often overlooked in policymaking and largely not considered when official data is collected and analyzed. This data gap hinders a comprehensive understanding of their socio-economic conditions and limits the development of targeted solutions. 

In 2022, UN Women carried out a research study to better understand the situation of rural women regarding access to services, rights, resources, and decision-making power. This report presents the main findings of the research which is based on quantitative and qualitative data collection methods capturing the experiences and views of rural women from 26 provinces. The report highlights some of the key considerations that influence rural women’s lived experiences and seeks to provide an update on women’s status in rural Türkiye today.