DİYARBAKIR - Speaking about the campaign launched by DISK for the ratification of the ILO Convention No. 190, DISK Diyarbakır Branch No.1 Secretary Zeynep Demir Akçer emphasized that the Convention should be ratified by Turkey as soon as possible.

 

The International Labour Organization (IL0) approved the ‘’Convention on Violence and Harassment’’ No.190, which includes international standards for the prevention of violence and harassment, which is one the most important problems of working life, at the International Labour Conference convened for the first time in June 2019. The conference also adopted Recommendation No.206, which accompanies Convention No.190. The framework set out in these documents sets out a clear roadmap for addressing and preventing violence and harassment in the working life. The Violence and Harassment Convention No.190, which was opened for the ratification of the countries after the adoption of the Convention, entered into force on June 25, 2021 after the ratification of Ecuador, Fiji, Namibia, Somalia and Uruguay. Turkey is not among the countries that have ratified this convention yet.

 

Zeynep Demir Akçer, Secretary of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DISK) Diyarbakır Branch No.1, evaluated the campaign for the ratification of the ILO Convention No.190 in Turkey.

 

‘An important convention for women’

 

Pointing out that the ILO Convention No.190 is especially important for women who are exposed to violence and harassment in the workplace, Zeynep said, ‘’The Istanbul Convention and ILO Convention No.190 are conventions that cover each other. It is especially important in order to prevent violence, harassment and mobbing experienced by women working in the workplace. In this respect, we started our campaign on November 25 for ratification of the ILO Convention No.190 and the Istanbul Convention by Turkey.

 

‘We will continue to expand our campaign’

 

Zeynep stated that Turkey should sign and implement the Convention, which is in force in many countries, as soon as possible. Noting that although the Istanbul Convention is in force, there is an deficient approach to combating violence against women, Zeynep said, ‘’In this context, in order to fill the deficient parts, both the social and political fields should work together as a whole and struggle to solve these problems. As women from DISK, we will continue to expand our campaign by coming together with diplomacy workers, political parties and non-governmental organizations for the Istanbul Convention and ILO Convention No. 190’’.

 

‘Women were the first to be dismissed’

 

Pointing out that the pandemic period is a disadvantageous period for working women, Zeynep emphasized that inequalities in workplaces reached their peak during this period. Zeynep said, ‘’The fact that workplaces are not operated at sufficient rate during the pandemic period, it resulted in the dismissal of women employees first. On the other hand, the workload of working women increased and their labor was ignored. A flexible working arrangement was carried out in workplaces and the burden of women at home has been increased. In this context, as DISK, we have made a call to all our friends working in the workplace and in the public sphere. In this call, we expressed that inequalities in workplaces should be corrected’’.

 

Gender inequality has deepened

 

Emphasizing that the increasing workload in workplaces and public spaces is no different from violence, Zeynep said: ‘’The number of women employees in Turkey is officially almost one third of the number of male employees. We see that the visible face of the already existing gender inequality deepens with the pandemic process. In particular, the exploitation of the labor of working women is tried to be normalized by the government and society’’.

 

‘Service is not just a woman’s role’

 

Zeynep pointed out that the opening of kindergartens and day care centers in officially existing workplaces is determined by the number of women employees, and pointed out that this problem mostly occurs in local governments. Zeynep said, ‘’Kindergarten and care centers need to be opened and all people, regardless of gender, need to benefit. However, the government is trying to create a perception that working women should care for the children at home instead of bringing their children in kindergarten. But we say that we are against all these and we take part in all segments of society. We also object to the perception of service and care services as the role of women only. That’s why we advocate that all existing services and workplaces should be equal for employees without gender discrimination. For this reason, we are implementing our campaign within the framework of gender equality’’.