IN TURKEY THE WOMEN MOST SUFFER FROM POVERTY
İzmir Soroptimist Club President Sema Övgün made the opening speech of the panel that took place in İzmir University of Economics Conference Hall and said that the managers of the non-governmental organizations should be pressed for increasing the place of women in society and making them take place in business life. The moderator Prof. Dr. Hülya Tütek emphasized that the women have legal rights in legal applications but the male dominance and patriarchal attitudes are not yet broken. Prof. Dr. Tütek stated that the working rate of women that form the half of the society was very low, but the women formed the biggest rate in undeclared work.
Assoc. Prof. Tijen Harcar made a presentation entitled “Economic Conditions and Employment of the Women in Terms of Gender” and gave some examples about the rates of women and men in business life. Assoc. Prof. Tijen Harcar reminded the fact that the unemployment rate in Turkey was 12.3 and said, “This shows that one of every four people are unemployed. We are the second country after Spain in OECD countries. There is a decrease in workforce in terms of women. Wages, workforce and life quality affect this. The women work mostly in agriculture, textile, education, medicine, bank, and stock market. Senior women workers’ rate is only 2,7, the rate in unskilled labor is 16. The individual mentality should change, the women should be educated about the rights, and alienation should be prevented in order for these indicators to change.”
İZSİAD President İlknur Denizli told that the men had to feel it for real and work to change it in order for the women to take place more in business life. İlknur Denizli said, “To change this situation, we, as the mothers that raise the men should plant in this sensitivity. So that they will feel something is going wrong and try to change it. In order for the fate of the women to change, the women in senior positions and that act as representatives should make an endeavor and oppress. The husband and father’s approval is needed for the women to be an entrepreneur. The government should provide convenience to women entrepreneurs in order to increase it. Especially financial aid is important.”
Lawyer Perihan Uskay underlined the fact that the Turkish Women got many rights before the women in the world thanks to the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and said, “Turkey signed European Social Charter in 1989. This charter does not separate men and women. However, it provides right to women for pregnancy, birth, and breast-feeding. Besides, many legal amendments are made. But these were only on paper. It is the same in Europe and the USA just the rates change.” H. Nilüfer Günay whose paper was read by Yıldız Berker since she was ill, stated that non-governmental organizations should be an element of oppression more in order to change the role of women in society. The panel ended after giving plaguet to the speakers and a mini concert.