Child Marriage in Türkiye: Analysis of Experienced Women’s Narratives

This book provides a critical examination of the problem of underage marriage in Türkiye through a sociological perspective considering gender perceptions, cultural norms, and historical and political contexts.

The author conducts a comprehensive analysis of the problem by focusing on the lived experiences and narratives of women who married before the age of 18. Face-to-face, in-depth, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 women who married at a child age to identify the causes and consequences of the marriage of underage girls and to explore how these women perceive both their own identities and the broader issue of child marriage. Employing critical discourse analysis, the author scrutinizes these interviews through the theoretical lenses of gender, identity, and ideology, all while remaining attuned to feminist perspectives. These combined methodologies allow the author to reveal the hidden dimensions of the problem, examining the feelings, stories, behaviours, and beliefs of real women who have married as children. Finally, constructive solutions are proposed for the elimination of the child marriage problem, not only in Türkiye, but in countries across the world.

The book will interest those working and studying in an array of fields, including sociology, gender studies, and Turkish culture and society, as well as anyone with a general interest in the problem of underage marriage.

Esra Bayhantopçu has been working as an Assistant Professor in Istanbul, Türkiye, since 2018. She graduated from the joint international PhD program at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, France (Political Science Department) and Galatasaray University, Türkiye (Media and Communication Studies Department) in 2017. She conducted her postdoctoral research in Spain (2022-2023) on sustainability and gender/equality. Dr. Bayhantopçu has also been providing consultancy to leading national and international companies in the field of sustainability since 2010. Her academic expertise lies in the fields of sustainability, gender equality, and communication, and she has authored several academic publications in these areas. Additionally, she has led and provided consultation for many sustainability projects.