Gender and Justice: A Quantitative Analysis of Women’s Participation and Victory in Ottoman Courts

Metin Cosgel, UCONN
Hamdi Genç, Istanbul Medeniyet University
Emre Özer, Istanbul Medeniyet University
Sadullah Yildirim, Marmara University

We examine whether Ottoman courts were biased against women in legal participation and chances of success. For a quantitative analysis of the role of gender in Ottoman courts, we use information from the official records available in imperial archives. Specifically, we use the records of the Galata and Üsküdar courts in Istanbul and the provincial courts of Konya and Kütahya in the early nineteenth century. These courts varied significantly in case load and type, geographic location, population characteristics, and administrative organization and importance. The results show that women used courts less frequently compared to men. In unconditioned regression analysis of the effect of gender on success, we find that women were less likely to win in court. However, when we include case characteristics in the analysis, the results show that women were not at a disadvantage. Our analysis shows how the results varied across courts.

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 Presented in Session 199. Women, Power and Institutions