Town where women equal men in numbers

Gümüşhacıköy, a town in the northern province of Amasya, holds a distinct record as the only place in Turkey where women are equal to men in terms of numbers. Some 11,867 women and 11,867 men live in the quiet town. Naturally, this forces the population to share the work in daily life, while men far outnumber women in participation in the workforce elsewhere in the country.

The main source of work in the town is agriculture, and women and men share the labor in farms and orchards.

The town's governor, Mehmet Deniz Arabacı, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Gümüşhacıköy is "absolutely not a place where gender discrimination exists." He points out that the town's mayor is also a woman, and women always had the privilege of affirmative action in Gümüşhacıköy. "Men and women share the work here and we have almost no cases of domestic violence," he added.

Bilgin Kiremitçi, who runs a florist's shop in the town with her husband, said they support each other, "like other women in the town do" and all the men in the town "value their spouses." Ali Altunay, a male resident, said they were surprised to learn that the number of both genders was equal but said they have always been sensitive of gender equality. "Women are always esteemed in Gümüşhacıköy," he said.