Gender Discrimination in Workplaces in Turkey: The Gap between Legal Protections and Implementation
Ekin Deveci
09/09/2026
This paper examines the extent to which International Human Rights Law and European Human Rights Law effectively address discrimination against women in Turkey, with an emphasis on the implementation of legal protections addressing workplace gender discrimination. Although Turkey has ratified various international treaties such as International Labour Organization (ILO) treaties The Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), as well as Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), gender inequality remains prevalent. This study underscores the great gap between legal commitments and implementation of treaties by analyzing international treaties, domestic legislation, European human rights mechanisms, and case studies; notably Hülya Ebru Demirel v. Turkey with the European Court of Human Rights, and R.K.B. v. Turkey under CEDAW. These cases demonstrate how discriminatory acts persist due to the ineffective implementation and weak enforcement of laws, gender stereotypes, and social expectations. The non ratification and the results of Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156) are explored in the paper. Even though the European Convention of Human Rights provides a robust legal framework furthermore strengthened by the European Court of Human Rights, structural and cultural barriers obscure the implementation of such laws in Turkey. These findings suggest that a strong jurisprudential framework is insufficient without the elimination of social norms, weak enforcement and implementation of the treaties. The paper culminates with highlighting the importance of effective implementation of the laws into practice, and the alignment of domestic and international law.