3 of my female friends and I, have applied for a job as caregivers in an institution in IStanbul. I'm hearing a lot of negative things about Turkey especially on how they treat women. Please give us advice.
Turkey - 9 Answers
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1 :
my friend never went without company, preferably a man. just hold your money in well hidden places and try not to dress too over the top. try not to attract attention to yourself and be aware at all times. youll learn how to get by
2 :
They don't treat you bad at all. I've been to Istanbul and Ankara with my mother. We stayed with a Canadian family who were very settled in with their surroundings. Very open Muslim country. There is a risk of being kidnapped if you are especially desirable. Let's say young and pretty, a very generalized specification. But it is not the Turkish who are doing it but criminals from the nearby Caucasus's'. Spillover from the disintegration of law and the uprising of criminal syndicates. Just watch Taken to get the idea of how to stay safe. In theaters now!
3 :
Im heading there later this year too and heard alot of stories too. In fact I knew of someone(expat) who was kidnapped before. My good Turkish friend told me he ll accompany me wherever I go when Im there and though I dont like the idea of it, I think it is advisable till I get used to things/ways there. Honestly i do not know what to expect. Ive always valued my freedom as a woman here in my country.
4 :
As mentioned before - dress sensibly. Get to know some local women, so that you can ask them for further advice. I really cannot comment on how they treat women, as I visited Turkey with my husband, so on the whole, Turks were friendly and open to us. You will notice that women and men tend to gravitate towards same sex groups in buses and public areas. Do the same as them. If you stand amongst men, they might think you are a prostitute.
5 :
You should take credentials from old employees of that institution. Not all institutions are trustworthy.
6 :
I wouldn't say it was dangerous, just really annoying. Tell EVERY guy that you have a boyfriend at home there in Turkey. It wont help much, but they do back off a little.
7 :
You need to feel relax just trust yourself. Turkey is safe for everyone.
8 :
Women Men Equalety in the West is just as good as europe but in the east you may not want to wear miniskirts you wont have any major problems you would not have in Europe but you may have your purse snatched (wich happens every where) but its liek a tradition in istanbul to steal visitors pursesXD
9 :
hi, i can understand your concerns because i hear a lot of things being said about how liberal or not turkey is. but, I'm a young turk living in istanbul and I wear whatever i want. a lot of people come here with the expectations of women all covered up. there is a side of turkey like that but especially istanbul, I don't think you'll see anything like you expect. Ofcourse there's a fast urbanization and some regions like taksim or ortaköy can be dangerous for ANYone but ofcourse like in any city women are seen as the easy targets so are most likely to be attacked or something I don't think you should worry about you're rights as a woman but I would suggest you to be careful when you're shopping or something in the regions I mentioned I hope you have fun here, If you have ANY question you can e-mail me (:
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