Turkish NGO helps mothers return to work
Turkish women are poorly represented in the workforce, but a new foundation aims to change that.
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.
Yet, certain commendable efforts have been made toward progress. During her work as a consultant for a Turkish executive search firm, Ayse Guclu Onur met many qualified and experienced women who were frustrated with their lack of choices and support in Turkey. Guclu Onur joined forces with several other female leaders — including several financial and banking experts — and established the YenidenBiz foundation.
According to Didem Altop, one of YenidenBiz's founders and secretary-general of Endeavor Turkey, the organization's name is a play on words. “It literally means 'Us Again' in Turkish, referring to women returning to careers. It also means, 'A New Us,' alluding to changed, evolved and refreshed attitudes and expectations,” Altop told Al-Monitor. Moreover, the “Biz” in YenidenBiz refers to business as an essential focus of the foundation.
