Problems of Female Employment in Turkey
A recent survey found that women working as public employees in Turkey face a variety of serious problems, ranging from low wages to sexual harassment. 3.4 percent of single women, 1.9 percent of married women and 10.0 percent of widowed women complained about violence and sexual harassment in the workplace. The much higher percentage of widowed women reporting problems reflects widespread cultural attitudes about divorced and widowed women who are seen to be without male protection and control, and therefore 1) available; and thus 2) a threat to other women’s husbands. This is true even for middle class women, who sometimes have problems finding or keeping an apartment, often lose their married friends, and are approached and harassed in their neighborhood and workplaces. The low divorce rate in Turkey is due in part to the great costs of divorce for women, the loss of social support and protection, and financial difficulties, especially if they have children.
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Parliament is discussing a package of employment reforms, such as subsidizing insurance of new employees. Legislation also requires that nursing room and daycare centers be established by any company employing more than 150 female workers, but without specifying where or what quality of facilities. Women’s groups have said the new employment package does not offer much to increase the female labor participation rate in Turkey, where participation in the labor force by women is one of the lowest among all the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, at 22.3 percent.
They argue that the Labor Law needs improvements not only to increase rates of female employment but also to improve women’s working conditions and salaries. In Turkey, women earn approximately 46 percent of salaries paid to men. Female-dominated sectors like domestic services and agriculture should be included in the labor laws. Gender-based discrimination during recruitment also should be addressed.
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The percentage of harassed women seems awfully low, especially compared with statistics in the US and Western Europe. While the survey is insightful for what it reveals, it is also insightful in the fact that so many women are not revealing levels of harassment in the workplace.
A flawed survey is better than no survey, though. But it would be interesting to find out an approach that would make women feel more comfortable in answering without shame or fear of repercussions.