Forty representatives joined the meeting which took place in Ankara at HAK-İŞ Confederation Hall on November 11^th. High level representatives from Ministry of Employment and Social Security moderated the meeting.

 

At the assembly there were also administrative representatives of institutions like DPB, TOBB, TESK, İŞKUR, DTP, TİSK, and TÜİK.

 

After the Prime Minister’s Circular on “Increasing Women Employment and Equal Opportunities” the foundations shared their activities in the scope of the circular. All the foundations were informed that reports about gender equality applications were going to be gathered and submitted to the committee starting from January.

 

The idea of positive discrimination in terms of promotions in public offices was shared. The representatives also paid attention to the fact that in practice there were many inequalities even though it wasn’t like that on paper. As a solution close control and independent report writing was offered.

 

It was mentioned that the aim is to raise the woman employment rate to 30 % in 5 years. However, this was low for Aynur Bektaş who criticized this opinion.

 

KAGİDER shared its activities for female employment and presented the “We Want a Job!” campaign. 

 

Common suggestions of the commission members were as follows:

           

-       The “women” expression in the kindergarten regulations (workplaces which employ 150 women) should be changed in order to fight with discrimination and in order to underline that child care is not only a female responsibility but a common responsibility to be shared among spouses.

-       More local kindergartens should be opened.

-       Parent permission should be regulated in laws and should viewed in terms of social responsibility.  

-       İŞKUR should give more importance to its professional education.

-       It’s important to create proper jobs for the 12 million house wives in Turkey. Even though they want to work, they don’t have the qualification that the market needs.

-       The craftsman and artisan association has 180 thousand woman members. This is a great potential.

-       Part time working should be with full assurance and be applied considering the individual’s preferences.        

 At the meeting deputy secretary Ahmet Zahteroğulları talked about the last developments of the National Employment Package: 

-       Payroll taxes which is given for women and young employees since 4 years is going to be extended for 3 more years.

A firm can take advantage of both of the price cuts. Even though if it has used the 5 point price cut, it can use it again when it employs a women or a young person between the ages of 19-29.