BEING A WOMAN IN TURKEY: AN APPLICATION.

Development is not limited to the opportunity to life and access to basic social services; it is also the creation of an environment enabling people to realize their rights and participate in society. Obstacles to development are enormous for many girls and women, with particular challenges in poor countries; the figures support this: Two-thirds of the world's illiterate are women, making it harder for them to earn a living, benefit from opportunities available in their societies. Women's role is essential in the development, but their particular needs and rights are not often reflected in development policies and practices. Consequently, empowering women and enabling them to participate and contribute to social, economic and political activities is important for sustainable growth. Women's empowerment and economic development are interrelated: development alone can significantly drive down inequality between men and women; empowering women may promote development. This paper reviews the socio-economic status of women in Turkey and European Union Countries. In this context, cluster analysis will be used from the statistical methods. Basic variables used are Labor Force Participation, Estimated Earned Income, Legislators, Senior Officials/Managers, Professional/Technical Workers, Literacy Rate, Enrollment in Primary Education/Secondary Education/Tertiary Education, Healthy life Expectancy, Women in the Parliament/Ministerial Positions, Years with Female Head of State. The primary aim is to determine the socio-economic status of Turkish women among the European countries. The basic subjects are women and development and the results of Cluster analyses and discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]