Psychological abuse tops violence against women in Türkiye: Data

ANKARA

Psychological violence is the most widespread form of abuse experienced by women in Türkiye, new data released by the country’s official statistics office show, highlighting persistent gender inequality despite gradual gains in education, employment and political representation.

According to the statistics released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on March 6 on the occasion of March 8 International Women's Day, 28.2 percent of women reported experiencing psychological violence at some point in their lives.

Following psychological abuse, economic violence and physical assault emerged as the next most prevalent forms of mistreatment, trailed by stalking, digital harassment and sexual violence.

According to the data, the majority of violence against women is perpetrated by intimate partners.

Nearly 40 percent of women who experienced violence said it was committed by a spouse, former spouse or partner.

Physical, psychological and sexual violence were also most commonly inflicted by partners, while economic violence most frequently came from family members.

Stalking and digital harassment, on the other hand, were most often carried out by strangers.

According to the data, education levels influence the types of violence women face.

Economic violence decreases significantly as education rises, but stalking and digital harassment become more common among highly educated women.

The findings come amid ongoing concerns about gender-based violence in Türkiye.

Women's rights groups frequently warn about the high number of femicides and suspicious deaths of women, many of which involve current or former partners.

Civil society organizations have long argued that stronger protections and more effective enforcement mechanisms are needed.

Beyond violence, the report provides a broad snapshot of women's social and economic status in Türkiye.

Education levels among women have improved significantly in recent years, the data showed.

The share of women aged 25 and older with higher education reached 23.6 percent, reflecting a sharp increase over the past decade.

However, this progress has not translated equally into the labour market.

In 2024, women's labour force participation rate was 36.8 percent, compared with 72 percent for men.

Women's employment rate stood at 32.5 percent, less than half that of men.

According to the figures, women remain underrepresented in leadership roles.

They accounted for 19.9 percent of members of parliament in 2025 and 28.4 percent of ambassadors, though both figures mark significant improvements over the past decade.

At the same time, women face higher economic vulnerability.

In 2025, 30.1 percent of women in Türkiye were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 25.6 percent of men.