GENDER AND FORCED MIGRATION: POST-ARAB SPRING WOMEN'S MIGRATION TO TURKEY

Abstract

After a brief overview of the Arab Spring and the large wave of migration triggered by it, this thesis initially displays the needed concepts vital to nuance the misunderstood phenomenon of feminization of migration, firstly through exploring the validity of the “traditional narrative” of women’s movements in the past through flashing a glance on the gender composition of global migratory movements. Secondly, by offering an inclusive review of a diverse body of literature written on gender and migration, it concludes that the scholarship on feminization of migration has drifted away from its initial purpose of fighting gender inequalities, which disrupted gender identity and created ambivalence for women. Thus, it calls for the need for feminization of migration research and points of views rather than just focusing on the feminization of migration. A holistic overview is provided on the changing role of Turkey from a country of origin to a country of transit and destination especially following the1973 economic recession in Western Europe and the Middle East’s long-term conflicts which have been ongoing since the First Gulf War. Then it sheds the light, particularly, on the presence of Syrian women in the influx of refugees/migrants to Turkey during the past decade. The main objective of this thesis is to better the status of women refugees/migrants by analyzing the gender-specific barriers that face females seeking asylum in Turkey with the aim of understanding their situation in exile. It also displays the Istanbul convention as the foundation stone of combating gender-based violence against female refugees/migrants.