The Women's Congress, organized by the great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on February 2, 1923, in order to draw attention to the place and importance of women in the social development process, was convened 100 years later under the name "Women and Economics Congress" on the same day. Many representatives working on women's rights and women's rights began to present their ideas and suggestions to guide the economic policies of the future Turkey. The congress will last all day.
The "Women and Economics Congress", the first forum of the Second Century Economics Congress to be held on February 15-21 by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality with the slogan "We are building the Turkey of the Future", started at the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center. Exactly 100 years later, at the women's forum, which was reorganized on February 2, many representatives working on women's rights and women's rights began to present their ideas and suggestions and share their projects for the construction of the economic policies of the future Turkey. At the opening of the forum, the slogans "Istanbul Contract Keeps Alive" were chanted. The forum will continue throughout the day.
Sezgin: “Today we are taking a big step”
Speaking at the opening of the forum moderated by İdil Türkmenoğlu, İzmir Business Women's Association (İZIKAD) Chairman of the Board Betül Sezgin said, “I am very excited. I have a beautiful view. The only thing certain in the world is the past, the only thing we have worked on is the future. I am proud to be in this congress inspired by differences. For realizing our common dream in Izmir Tunç SoyerThank you. Today we are taking a big step. "We're going to start today by doing our best."
Kılıç: “We women will never give up on our dreams”
Expressing that she is proud of the reorganization of the Women's Congress, which was held on the same date 100 years ago, Aegean Management Consultants Association (EgeYDD) Chairman Pınar Kılıç said, “It is very important to be with you in this forum, where solutions are discussed, not problems. 86 percent of our country has given up on dreaming, but we women will never give up on our dreams. We will build the future of women, who are known as the second sex in my country, with the decisions we will make together today.”
Aşkıner: “We need to tell success stories”
Aegean Business Women's Association (EGİKAD) Chairman of the Board Şahika Aşkıner said, “For many years, we have been making efforts to support women's entrepreneurship in our country. We need to tell women's entrepreneurship and women's success stories. This is a very important thing,” she said.
Zorlu: “Sexist stereotypes need to be removed”
Sibel Zorlu, Chairman of the Board of ESİAD, stated that Turkey ranks 146th among 124 countries in the Global Gender Inequality Index and said: “Women's participation in employment, politics and decision-making mechanisms is low. First of all, sexist stereotypes and prejudices arising from these stereotypes must be eliminated. Education curricula at all levels need to be planned in a way that is sensitive to gender equality. The state has great responsibilities in this regard.”
Kestelli: “Never give up, fight”
Işınsu Kestelli, Chairman of the Board of Directors of İzmir Commodity Exchange, said, “We generally see women in the fields, they often do not have insurance. We cannot achieve full efficiency with half power. Never give up. Fight," he said.
Soyer: “Women are the wise ones”
Speaking at the session titled "Entering the Second Century" within the scope of the "Women and Economics Congress", Izmir Village-Koop Union Chairman of the Board Neptün Soyer said, "In BC. In 12000, women are farming, turning wheat into bread to feed humanity. In the Şanlıurfa Archeology Museum, where the invention of agriculture is depicted, female figures always appear. Without women, there can be no agriculture, no production. The woman is the first to grow wheat, and the woman to make bread for the first time. It is also the one who started the continuity of agriculture and made the transition of human life from nomadism to settled life. In addition to how to do agriculture, he gained the knowledge of what to collect from nature and how to use it. She is a big woman. An old woman. So the wise one,” she said.
“48 percent of workers in agriculture are women”
Stating that women and agriculture are in an intense relationship today, just as they did not separate throughout history, Neptün Soyer said, “However, especially in rural areas, the labor-intensive work of women is ignored in the livelihood of households. Women work in the field from morning to noon and at home for the rest of the day. The share of women in animal husbandry is also very large. She takes care of everything from the care of animals to their birth. She knows how to use the meat and milk she obtains. Although most of the masters are men today, people have eaten delicious cheese from the hands of wise women throughout history. In fact, women are gastronomy experts. It both evaluates all foods and creates new flavors. When different sectors are examined in our country, it is seen that the only sector where the working female population is almost equal to the male population is agriculture. 48 percent of the people working in agriculture are women and 50 percent are men. The closest sector to this field is the service sector, where the rate of women working in that sector is only 28 percent.
“If we fight together, our level of welfare will increase”
Stating that women who undertake such important duties unfortunately have many problems such as being deprived of social security practices, staying alone with poverty, working in labor-intensive jobs, Neptün Soyer continued her words as follows: “Some gains have been made regarding the social security of women working in the agricultural sector. However, this issue needs to be paid more attention to the society. Although I am telling you about the agricultural sector, this applies to all sectors. As women do not get paid for their labor in business life, their responsibilities at home are also completely ignored. The inability of women in the decision-making processes means that the decisions taken are unfortunately half. The right decisions are possible by thinking equally, deciding together, and listening to each other. One of the biggest mistakes we make when talking about women's rights is to focus on women and ignore the impact of masculinity norms on the subject. We have to change our perspective. Women should be empowered, but meanwhile, men should also be made aware of gender equality. We can fight together so that women can be stronger in every field. Only in this way can we increase our level of well-being and live a just and peaceful life.”
Çerkezoğlu: “The second highest unemployment category is the broad definition of female unemployment”
Expressing that unemployment is one of Turkey's most fundamental problems, Revolutionary Workers' Unions Confederation (DISK) Chairman Arzu Çerkezoğlu said, “Women's labor in Turkey is faced with low wages and discrimination. When we look at all types of unemployment, the youth unemployed figures are very high. The second high unemployment category is broadly defined female unemployment. In November 2022, the broad definition of female unemployment is 23,9 percent. During the epidemic period, female unemployment types were much higher compared to other unemployment categories and this trend continues. Gender inequality in labor markets
gets deeper. Qualified employment is low for women. The gap between the minimum wage and the average wage for women is getting smaller. 60 percent of women in Turkey work for a figure around the minimum wage," he said.
Emphasis on gender equality
Emphasizing that women are faced with gender-based violence and harassment, Arzu Çerkezoğlu drew attention to the need to implement social policies that will take the burden of care from women. Çerkezoğlu said, “The number of kindergartens should be increased. All industrial zones should be obliged to open a nursery. Studies that will end sexist employment and sexist division of labor should be put on the agenda. Unqualified employment and unfair wage practices in women's labor must be combated. Loss of wages due to women's motherhood should be prevented. Postpartum care leave defined for women in the regulations should be converted into parental leave. "Full-time and secure jobs should be created for women, not flexible precarious jobs."
Transfer: “We must be partners”
Reyhan Aktar, TÜRKONFED Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Women in Business (IDK) Commission, said, “We discussed many issues here, from education to employment and multi-faceted politics. We support empowering women in these areas. We women exist to strengthen their power next to every weak person. In this century, we should no longer be followers, but stakeholders," he said.
More than 50 women's associations came together at the forum
The “Women and Economics Congress”, of which Tüpraş is the theme sponsor, is held in partnership with the Western Anatolian Federation of Industrialists and Businessmen's Associations (BASİFED) and with the support of the Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED). Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor attended the forum where women from many different professions came together. Tunç Soyer and his wife, İzmir Village Coop Union President Neptün Soyer, CHP İzmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu's wife Duygu Aslanoğlu, Karaburun Mayor Ilkay Girgin Erdoğan, Çeşme Mayor Ekrem Onan's wife Nuriş Onan, Bayraklı Mayor Serdar Sandal's wife Aylin Sandal, Seferihisar Mayor İsmail Adult's wife Fatma Adult, Kemalpaşa Mayor Rıdvan Karakayalı's wife Lütfiye Karakayalı, Ödemiş Mayor Mehmet Eriş's wife Selma Eriş, Western Anatolia Industrialists and Business People Associations Federation (BASİFED) Chairman of the Board Mehmet Ali Kasalı, İZIKAD Chairman of the Board Betül Sezgin, Ege YDD Chairman of the Board Pınar Kılıç, ESİAD Chairman of the Board Sibel Zorlu, EGİKAD Chairman of the Board Şahika Akıner, DİSK Chairman Arzu Çerkezoğlu, EGEKOOP Chairman of the Board Hüseyin Aslan, DİSK Aegean Region Representative Memiş Sarı, researcher-author Bekir Ağırdır, representatives of more than 50 women's associations working at national and international level attended.
Organized with well-established sponsors and supporters
One of the theme sponsors of the Second Century's Economics Congress, Tüpraş has been working for many years to ensure that women can take a greater place in business life.
There are 12 associations, 2 members and nearly 5 businesses within the body of the Western Anatolian Federation of Industrialists' and Businessmen's Associations (BASİFED), which is the partner of the “Women and Economics Congress”. BASİFED provides employment for 4 thousand people by providing 2 percent of Turkey's foreign trade and 35 percent of registered employment in agriculture and non-public sector.
Contributing to the event, TÜRKONFED gathers 30 federations, more than 300 national and international associations and more than 60 thousand companies under its roof. TÜRKONFED, with its member base, provides 83 percent of total (non-energy) foreign trade and 55 percent of registered employment in agriculture and non-public sector.
Congress starts on February 15
The Second Century Economics Congress, designed as a civil, transparent and fully participatory initiative, will be held between February 15-21, 2023. At the end of the congress, policy proposals that will shape the new century will be shared with all of Turkey.
The secretariat of the congress is carried out by the İzmir Planning Agency (İZPA) affiliated to İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. You can visit iktisatkongresi.org for detailed information and event calendar about the Second Century Economics Congress.
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