Conclusion: Can the EU Be a Feminist Actor?

The concluding chapter offers an overview of the extent to which Turkey has adopted and applied EU norms in different gender policy areas, and further scrutinises the impact of the Europeanisation process on women’s development. Building on the findings of seven empirical chapters touching upon both the adoption and application of the EU’s rules, we offer a condensed summary of the extensive lack of feminist thinking and framing in the EU’s approach to infusing gender justice in target countries. Drawing on the case of Turkey and pulling together the gender equality implications from the empirical chapters, this chapter highlights the importance that feminist constructions of the EU should build on for a successful, flourishing, and gender-sensitive Europeanisation process. Lastly, it compares the findings of Europeanisation of gender equality policies in Turkey with the findings of the research on Central and Eastern Europe enlargement, identifies the mechanisms that are in place, and summarises the insights gained from the case of Turkey. The chapter concludes by highlighting that the EU is not yet a feminist but a progressive gender actor.