The Politics of the Female Body in Contemporary Turkey – Reproduction, Maternity, Sexuality

Book presentation by Hilal Alkan (Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient), Ayşe Dayı (Orca Dreams: Platform for Mindful Living), Sezin Topçu (French National Research Center), Betül Yarar (Universität Bremen) and Esra Sarıoğlu (Max Planck Institute for Human Development).

In Turkey, during the last decade, women's central role in reproductive and domestic work has been reactionarily reaffirmed by the policies of the Justice and Development Party. Many such shifts in family policies and regulations about reproductive rights have created intense debate in the public sphere and women developed various responses to them. Taking Turkey as the case study, this book examines the various ways neoliberal modes of governing women's bodies interact with conservative and authoritarian measures. It, therefore, presents analytical tools applicable under rising authoritarianisms and conservatisms worldwide.

The book centers on reproduction, maternity and sexuality as three main areas of governmental interventions into the female body. Topics for discussion include: the expansion of IVF and egg markets, the privatization of gynaecological and obstetrical care, differential treatment of poor and ethnic minority women's fertility/sexuality, pious women’s juggling of reproductive freedoms and religious premises, and women's multiple responses to the shifts in policy and discourse.

The book was published by Bloomsbury in 2021.

This event will be held in a hybrid format. To participate via zoom, please register here. If you are interested in participating in person at ZMO, please contact Hilal.Alkan.Zeybek@zmo.de.