Views of Women’s Sexuality and Violence Against Women in Turkey

PURPOSE: This study explored Turkish university students' views of women-related issues--gender roles, sexuality, and violence against women. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 605 students--337 females and 268 males--at Ankara University, Turkey. A survey exploring students' views of female sexuality and violence was used. Comparisons of responses were made among groups based on sex, year of study at the university, and field of study at the university. RESULTS: Three relevant findings were found: male students had more traditional, nonegalitarian approaches toward women's issues than female students; educational levels and fields of study did not significantly influence students' views of women; and a small percentage of students approve of violence against women. DISCUSSION: These results show that patriarchal values in Turkish society influence the formation of students' opinions, and university education alone cannot affect everyone's views of gender roles, women's sexuality, and violence against women.