Developing women's spaces: evaluation of the importance of sex-segregated spaces for gender and development goals in Southeastern Turkey.(Southeaster Anatolia development project teaching literacy and business skills to women)

Abstract

As part of Turkey's ambitious Southeastern Anatolia development project (GAP), community centers catering largely to women are being established throughout Turkey's southeast, with aims to teach literacy and entrepreneurial skills, build confidence, and to help overcome considerable gender disparities that characterize the region. This paper interrogates the importance of these centers (CATOM) in relation to experiences of those who participate in the centers, state goals, and in conversation with theoretical understandings of gender and space. In particular, we consider the importance of sex-segregated spaces for the women and girls who participate in center activities. Additionally, we critically evaluate the center model to serve as input into planning processes, with particular attention to the relationship between outcomes of the spaces and stated goals and intent of the community centers. We also conclude with a brief discussion of how this work may contribute to advance theoretical understandings of the connections between gender and space, as well as gender theorizations of states.

Ozet

Cok kapsamli bir bolge kalkinma projesi olan Guneydogu Anadolu Projesi kapsaminda genel olarak kadinlara okuma-yazma ve girisimcilik ogreten, ozguvenlerini gelistiren ve Bolge'deki toplumsal cinsiyet farkliliklarinin ustesinden gelmek icin hizmet veren toplum merkezleri (CATOM), Turkiye'nin guneydogusunda kurulmaya baslandi. Bu makalede, bu merkezlerin onemi, katilimcilarin deneyimleri, devletin bu merkezleri kurmaktaki amaci teorik cercevede toplumsal cinsiyet ve mekan kavramlari uzerinden tartisilmaya calisilacaktir. Burada, ozellikle, bu merkezlerde kurslara katilan genc kiz ve kadinlar acisindan cinsiyete gore ayrilmis mekanlarin oneminden, mekanlarin hizmet ettigi ciktilar ile devletin amaclari arasindaki iliskiden bahsedilmekte ve yakin gelecekte acilmasi planlanan pek cok merkez dusunuldugunde merkez modeli icin girdi olusturabilecek elestirel bir degerlendirme getirilmektedir. Sonuc kisminda ise, bu calismanin toplumsal cinsiyet ve mekan arasindaki iliski konusundaki teorik calismalara ne gibi katkilari olacagina dair kisa bir tartisma yer almaktadir.

I. Introduction