Ottoman Woman in the Central Balkans: Between Stereotypes and Reality (16th-18th Century)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present the woman in the Central Balkans during the Ottoman
period, as well as her role and position in the social life. First of all, we have discussed the
established stereotypes and then, on the basis of some new and yet unused, as well as the
already exploited archival sources and literature, we have shown the real situation. The paper
presents the rights women had under the Sharia and Ottoman Kanuns, and the extent to
which those rights were actually observed in the everyday life. We have paid special
attention to the following segments of the social life of women: possession of movable and
immovable property, the economic role of women as stewards of her own and her children’s
assets, women as endowers, women’s right to work.

Information

Published in	Београд
Year of publication	2018
Author	Драгана Амедоски
Publisher	Етнографски институт САНУ
Publication	Гласник Етнографског института LXVI, свеска 1
Pages	119 - 137
Keywords	Balkans divorce marriage Ottoman Empire Ottoman woman