Gender theories point a structure where heteronormative order and/or the concepts that stay out of it are associated with each other or positioned through each other, with its content that embraces all gender-themed ideas, concepts, and cultural elements. Following the 19th century, some theoretical and conceptual approaches (feminism, queer) have been developed in the academic field in order to criticize behavioral patterns imposed upon gender identities according to cultural or social data and to express rights or inequities observed based on gender within social life. The "gender roles" that shape people's psychological and social behaviours are a set of fictional structures shaped by "gender/sex." Gendered behavior is such that “masculinity” and “femininity” are not equal statues in the social order. Regardless of all these prejudices and fictions, it is obvious that being a woman or a man alone will not constitute an obstacle for any artistic or cultural activities.

Studies within theoretical framework of gender, can be considered as a reflection of struggle towards social existence of individuals, and particularly of women without gender discrimination especially since 1960s. On the basis of these discussions lies an area of study explaining the emergence in different forms of, and causes of oppression on rather women and queer with different race, class, religion, culture and ethnicity. While advocating women majorly with a feminist approach within the context of gender, equality of gender rights gained attention with the critic of gender codes. For example, critical musicology studies and feminist musicology researches on women's music production and performance have brought the implicit narrative of gender in historical literature to light and has led to examining women's existence in the field. Research and discoveries have been made in the context from life stories to musical notes, photographs and archive documents, thus determining the existence and production of women. History is full of faded pages in terms of women's traces and productions in art. In the context of gender theories, many documents have come to light in the field of production, performance and women’s literature in various art fields such as literature, painting and music. In this special issue we aim to examine the gender roles and women studies in art. We expect your valuable contributions for the next issue of International Journal of Literature and Arts.