31th Meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Consultative

Committee

Ankara, Turkey20-21 December 2012

Gülden TürktanPresident, KAGIDER

THEORY

• Positive Legal Developments• 2020 Agenda• Women’s Empowerment Targets• Women’s Entrepreneurship Projects•The Women on the Board Pledge for Europe – 40% rule

WOMEN'S STATUS IN TURKEY AND IN THE EU

VS. PRACTICE

• Patriarchal Mentality• Problems in Implementing Laws and Regulations• Lack of Political Commitment• EU Process not high in the agenda• Lack of Statistics in Entrepreneurship• Few Women in Decision Making Bodies

Decision Making in private and government

Women on average made up 15% of non-executive board members in the biggest publicly-listed companies across the EU. Only 3% were board chairs.

Only 3% have Board chairs.

Women in National Parliaments: 25%

Women Ministers: 27%

EU-27 TRWomen on average made up 23% of Board members in the biggest publicly-listed companies.

Only 12% have Board chairs.

Women in Turkish Parliament: 14%

Women Ministers: 4%

Women in Parliament

Women in Ministerial Positions

Employment

Female Employment Rate: 62%Target: 75%Gender Pay Gap: 17%Female Unemployment Rate: 10%

EU-27 TR

Female Employment Rate: 26% Target: 35%Gender Pay Gap: 25%Female Unemployment Rate: 8%

What Did Turkey Do? Turkey ratified the Council of Europe’s Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in March 2012.

The Law on the Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence against Women adopted in March 2012.

The Ministry of Family and Social Policies and the Gendarmerie signed a protocol for gender equality training.

Employment rate of women increased from 24,0% (2010) to 25,6% (2011).

With the 2011 general elections, the % female members in the parliament increased from 9.1 % to 14.4 %.

KAGIDER and Ministry of Family and Social Affairs signed the protocol on Equal Opportunity Model for Public Sector.

Our Policy Proposals 1

• Female labor force participation target of 35% by 2023 of the Turkish Government shall be increased in line with EU and OECD female employment targets.

• To boost gender equality in employment, a universal, affordable and accessible child care system is needed.

• Paternity leave need to be paid and be non transferable.

• Clearly defined and openly communicated gender equality procedures in working environments are crucial.

Our Policy Proposals 2

• Women entrepreneurship statistics need to be collected and publicly shared with all related stakeholders.

• Gender budgeting should be applied as the main method of annual state budget as well as the budgets of all public institutions and organizations.

• “Parity” perspective for the article of equality in the new constitution which is being drafted in the Parliament need to be applied.

• Work harder on being a member of EU.

Positive BUT NOT Enough!

Progress in EU negotiations is needed.

Gender equality reform process shall continue independent from the political gridlocks of Turkey’s EU membership process.

We need integration of all social partners, especially women’s NGOs in the follow up and monitoring process.

We need close coordination and synergy between social and political partners, with an embracing government.

We need to refresh the political commitment of the Turkish government and the EU…

Thank You…

How Does KAGIDER Operate?

UN ECOSOCBalkan CoalitionInvest for the Future (IFTF)AFAEMME

World BankIFCUN WOMENUNDP

UNILOUS State DepartmentTIAW

OECDEUEBRDOther NGOs

International Networks

KAGIDER at work…