ANKARA - The women’s commissions of labor and professional organizations made a statement that ‘’This budget, which does not aim gender equality in a process when women’s poverty deepens, is unacceptable, it should be withdrawn immediately’’.

 

The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK) Women’s Commission, Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK) Women’s Council, Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) Women’s Working Group, Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Women’s Medicine and Women’s Health Branch made a written statement regarding the budget of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, whose discussions are continuing in the parliament.

 

In the written statement, it was stated that in a process which violence against women increased and women’s poverty deepened with the epidemic, the budget that does not aim gender equality is unacceptable.

 

‘Ministry’s care is not women but family’

 

In the statement, which mentioned that the Ministry of State Responsible for Women and Family has changes since 2011, said, ‘’It was combined with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security in 2018 and transformed into the Ministry of Family and Social Services with the change made in 2021. The Ministry, whose mission is determined as ‘Implement and ensure the implementation of social policies for the protection, strengthening and development of the individual, the family, and our social values’, by saying ‘Women’s empowerment, providing access to their individual rights and to their benefits; It is extremely important in terms of strengthening our family and social structure’ revealed that its main concern is not the woman but the family’’.

 

‘Improving the social status of women is not among the goals’

 

The statement emphasized that the works for women is carried out with the economic support of other institutions, including the European Union (EU), and is not covered by the state budget. It stated, ‘’For this reason, when the projects are finished, the works on the subject come to an end and the services offered are interrupted. When we look at the 2020 budget, unfortunately, the general reasons targets of budget preparation, let alone equality between women and men, do not even include improving the social status of women. The goals of the 2018-2023 Strategic Action Plan prepared by the Ministry regarding women were not also included in the budget goals.

 

‘There are no women in AKP’s 2022 policies or budget’

 

Underlining that the 2022 budget is not a gender-responsive budget, the statement stated that the AKP’s reason for preparing the budget is ‘’In the use of public resources; to act in line with the policies, measures and priorities set in the main policy documents’’. It continued in statement as, ‘’There are no women in AKP’s 2022 policies or budget. This budget, which does not aim gender equality, is unacceptable in a process which violence against women has increased with the pandemic and women’s poverty has deepened. The budget should be withdrawn immediately and an egalitarian budget should be prepared’’.