Maternal activism, feminism and world politics: the case of the Saturday mothers in Turkey

Abstract

This thesis addresses the question of whether or not the Saturday Mothers and their protests can be seen as serving feminist objectives in Turkey, situating it within the broader context of maternal activism and feminism in world politics. It draws on an analytical framework derived from Carreon and Moghadam’s (2015) work on mothers’ mobilization around the world, and seeks to establish the extent to which the Saturday Mothers are socially connected to the women’s/feminist movement in Turkey and/or inspired by a feminist vision. Towards this end, data is collected through a series of interviews with participants of the Saturday Mothers, members of the Human Rights Association, members of a women’s organization and feminist scholars, as well as a systematic analysis of the feminist journals of Pazartesi and Amargi. Beyond considerations related to social connectedness and visions, different feminist theories are used as analytical tools for a general assessment of the question. The thesis concludes that no meaningful connection exists between the Saturday Mothers and the women’s/feminist movement in Turkey, that a feminist vision has played no role in inspiring the Saturday Mothers and their protests, and that the latter does not really serve feminist objectives in Turkey. Despite this, an analysis paying attention to the specific historical and socio political trajectories of Turkey reveals that the Saturday Mothers and their protests have an impact on gender relations at both individual and societal levels, even if these fall short of contributing to a significant transformation and emancipation for women.