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Turkish NGO helps mothers return to work

Turkish women are poorly represented in the workforce, but a new foundation aims to change that.
A worker checks the chocolates on a production line at Konya Seker Sugar Factory in Cumra, a small town about 50km (31 miles) south of the central Anatolian city of Konya January 27, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: BUSINESS FOOD) - RTR2WYOX

When it comes to the participation of women in Turkey's workforce, the picture is not very encouraging. According to a March 2015 report from the Turkish Statistical Institute, women make up only 30% of Turkey’s labor force. Additionally, in a country where informal work among women is prevalent, many other factors contribute to the gloomy statistics, including gendered division of labor, lack of education and a social security system that does not function in women’s favor.

Furthermore, employers often prevent women from returning to work after having children, thus further preventing them from contributing to Turkey's economy. Unfortunately, testimonies and studies from around the world, including from the United Kingdom and the United States, confirm a similar pattern: Women are being driven from their jobs, as motherhood results in continuous “disadvantages in the workplace in addition to those commonly associated with gender,” as stated by a 2007 American Journal of Sociology article. 

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