Women’s Electoral Participation in Turkey: Micro and Macro Factors

Women’s electoral participation in Turkey is studied, using the probit procedure. The novelty of the study is the use of both micro-level and macro-level variables simultaneously. Furthermore, a wider range of variables are used in each of these categories than other studies on turnout in Turkey, including some variables never considered before. Results show that women’s propensity to vote is related to age (at least until 49) being married and residing in an electoral district with large number of viable female candidates, positively, and to being an ethnic minority, having children under 6, living in an urban area, living in an electoral district with a large number of parliament members and large effective number of parties, negatively. Education and household wealth have inverted-U shaped relationships with women’s probability to vote. Being a migrant reduces the likelihood of voting unless it occurs in a province with heavy migrant concentration and large number of parliament members.