Kamal Pasha emanicipated women from the age old shackles of slavery to men. When he assumed power women were treated as inferior to men. They lived in pradah and could not enter certain occupations.
The prevalence of system of polygamy (one husband marrying a number of wives) also rendered their position weak. Kamal Pasha realised that the task of national reconstruction could not be accomplished unless the co-operation of women was secured. He, therefore, took a number of steps to liberate them from position of slavery. He abolished pardah, and opened up all kinds of careers to women, except admitting them to the Parliament.
Kamal did not introduce female suffrage because he felt that times were not ripe as yet. He wanted to introduce modern education in the country before granting vote to women. He encouraged the women to adopt western fashions and habits.
This sudden emancipation of women and the removal of secular restrictions resulted in free intercourse of girls and young men, the frequenting of dance-halls, and the desire to equal and even to excel the women of Western Europe in the extravagances of fashion, resulted in sexual irregularities.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Despite these shortcomings, it cannot be denied that it was chiefly due to efforts of Kamal that women in Turkey acquired status of equality with men. They were given freedom to choose their husbands, the personal property they brought with them in marriage was secured to them and so on. As a result of liberation of women they came to play a prominent role in the art, literature and education of the country.
Thus through his various reforms Kamal Pasha succeeded in transforming Turkey into a modern nation one has rightly been described as the Father of Modern Turkey.