The English translation of Behçet Necatigil’s poem “Perili Ev” by the KADEM Deputy General Manager received great interest.

As part of the “Understanding Women’s Labor” panel at the Commission on the Status of Women— the largest UN event followinf the UN General Assembly—the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) explored various aspects of women’s labor. The event brought together expert speakers to discuss the vital roles women play in the workforce and their contributions to social development.

Within the scope of the 69th Session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), KADEM organized a series of events in New York and engaged with international women’s organizations, discussing women’s labor in an international panel.

The “Understanding Women’s Labor” panel delved into the unseen dimensions of women’s labor, discussing topics such as the care economy, agricultural labor, and digitalized work models, as well as the critical role of women’s labor in economic and social sustainability.

The panel, attended by Türkiye’s Consul General in New York, Ambassador Muhittin Ahmet Yazal, was opened with speeches by Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and chair of KADEM Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saliha Okur Gümrükçüoğlu. The panel, moderated by Dr. Betül Özel Çiçek, featured distinguished speakers from various disciplines, including Dr. Nursem Keskin Aksay, Tess Mateo, Fabiana Menna, Zeliha Sağlam, Dr. Sharifa Noaman Al Emadi, and Florence Ackey.

KADEM Chairperson Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saliha Okur Gümrükçüoğlu emphasized that ensuring the visibility of women’s labor and maintaining it fairly is only possible when the necessary conditions and opportunities are provided. She stated that KADEM conducts research, campaigns, projects, and fieldwork in this regard and summarized some of these initiatives as follows:

“We have launched the Women’s Cooperatives Empowerment and Coordination Center Project (KooPro) in 55 cities where KADEM representatives are present. Through KooPro, we aim to strengthen the institutional capacity of women’s cooperatives, enhance their market competitiveness, and integrate them into broader business networks. We provide courses and training tailored to women’s needs. So far, we have supported the establishment of approximately 50 cooperatives, creating employment opportunities for hundreds of women. While supporting female entrepreneurs through the Women in Innovation Project, we prepare young girls under state protection for the workforce through the Starting Job for the Future Project. In 2023, we organized a workshop titled Women in Working Life.”

Highlighting the “glass ceiling” syndrome as one of the most significant structural barriers women face in the business world, Gümrükçüoğlu stated: “When we analyze the occupational distribution of female workers, we see that service and sales personnel constitute the most employed group, while managerial positions are the least occupied category. Additionally, women have to exert much more effort than men to secure a place in the workforce, continuously making sacrifices to maintain work-life balance. Furthermore, they struggle against numerous biases.”

“Women-Friendly ‘Flexible Working’ Policies Should Be Developed”

Gümrükçüoğlu pointed out that in the U.S., occupational discrimination persists due to certain professions being perceived as “male-dominated.” She emphasized the pressure to conform to the “ideal woman” image and the stereotypes of inadequacy and weakness, which place women at a disadvantage in professional life. She stated: “Even in the 21st century, the violation of the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work,’ employment of uninsured female workers, lack of social security, and the predominance of women in part-time jobs remain urgent issues. Digital and hybrid work models, which have accelerated due to the pandemic, offer new opportunities for women while also bringing new challenges. Remote work allows women to manage their work-life balance better but also increases the risk of additional household responsibilities.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saliha Okur Gümrükçüoğlu stressed the importance of developing women-friendly flexible working policies and encouraging employers to support women. She also noted that workplaces and working hours not designed according to women’s needs further complicate their work-life balance. She highlighted that KADEM’s 2023 “Women in Work Life” workshop identified how difficulties in balancing work and life limit women’s career development and reduce their participation in the labor force. To address these challenges, KADEM has prepared “Policy Recommendations on Women’s Work-Life Balance,” aiming to contribute to overcoming these difficulties.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gümrükçüoğlu concluded his remarks as follows:

“Strengthening women’s presence in the workforce is a critical step toward economic growth, social justice, effective governance, and sustainable development. Increasing the visibility of women’s labor and ensuring that women play a more active role in economic and social life is a shared responsibility for all of us.”

Following Gümrükçüoğlu, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş delivered a speech. “As Türkiye, we are shaping our policies to recognize and support women’s labor in all its dimensions,” said Minister Göktaş, emphasizing that women form the backbone of both the economy and social structure in many areas.

Drawing attention to the fact that women’s economic and social contributions are not sufficiently recognized, Göktaş stated: “As Türkiye, we are shaping our policies to recognize and support women’s labor in all its dimensions. In this regard, we have adopted the principle of addressing women’s social and economic contributions not only in financial terms but also from cultural and social perspectives. Only such an approach will guide us in achieving our goals of social justice and sustainable development.”

Highlighting the importance of collaboration with the private sector and civil society organizations to ensure that women’s labor is recognized as it deserves, Göktaş provided examples of projects undertaken by the Ministry in this field.

She noted that they had supported the establishment of 1,248 new women’s cooperatives and stated: “Through the ‘Empowering Women through Cooperatives Project,’ we have reached 14,754 people through training, consultancy, stakeholder and marketing meetings, experience-sharing sessions, and domestic and international study visits. Through all these efforts, we have seen that women achieve great success in the economic sphere with their productivity, adaptability to changing conditions, and foresight.”

Emphasizing that every policy supporting women is crucial for their professional lives and entrepreneurial activities, Göktaş added: “Our 12th Development Plan is an important roadmap containing concrete steps and goals to facilitate women’s participation in the business world. Within the framework of the targets set in the Plan, we are working to increase the female labor force participation rate to 40.1% and the female employment rate to 36.2% by the end of 2028.”

Stressing that recognizing and supporting women’s labor in all aspects, both in the public and private sectors, is essential for sustainable development, Göktaş said:

“We know that such events focusing on women’s labor are not merely discourse or an academic discussion. They are also a dynamic transformation process that shapes our policies and forms the foundation of equality and justice. As part of this process, increasing the value given to women’s labor is at the heart of our social and economic policies. I invite all stakeholders to join a collective effort to recognize, support, and integrate women’s labor into our sustainable development. With the belief that we will create a global ecosystem where we can best harness women’s strength, determination, and creativity, I sincerely thank you for your participation and support.”

Behçet Necatigil’s Poem: “Perili Ev” [Haunted House]

The panel was moderated by KADEM Deputy General Manager for Academic Studies and International Relations, Dr. Betül Özel Çiçek. In her presentation, she recited a poem by renowned Turkish poet Behçet Necatigil. The poem, which underscores the invisible labor of women in the household and was translated into English by Dr. Özel Çiçek, attracted great interest, particularly from international guests.

A “Women’s Labor” Bridge from Türkiye to Africa

Zeliha Sağlam, Chairperson of the Board of the African Cultural House and a panelist, emphasized how the labor of African women is transformed into meaningful value. She highlighted that through initiatives under the patronage of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, this labor is not only an economic gain but also a cultural heritage and social solidarity. Sağlam noted that hundreds of handmade products meticulously crafted by women from 40 African countries have established a strong bridge of sorority and solidarity between Türkiye and Africa, thereby increasing the visibility of women’s labor and contributing to sustainable development.

Dr. Nursem Keskin Aksay, a Board Member of KADEM, provided information about KADEM’s comprehensive study on women’s labor in Türkiye. She mentioned that through field studies conducted in 12 cities, they examined the social, economic, and cultural dimensions of women’s labor. The study details the relationship between paid and unpaid labor, the challenges women face, and societal perceptions. The findings aim to increase the visibility of women’s labor and develop policy recommendations. The initial results presented in the panel offer important data to understand the value of women’s labor and develop supportive models.

Other Panelists:

• Dr. Sharifa Noaman Al Emadi, Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute, highlighted the factors affecting women’s participation in the labor market in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

• Fabiana Menna, President of Fundación Gran Chaco (W20), shared her work with women in Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Bolivia. She stated that through their projects, they have helped change the lives of 150,000 women.

• Florence Ackey, Executive Director of the Refugee and Migrant Women Initiative (RAMWI), discussed the work carried out in their organization to empower refugee and migrant women economically and socially. She mentioned that they assist women in overcoming employment barriers by teaching them sewing skills.

• Tess Mateo, a Board Member of Bluerloop (W20), focused on the critical relationship between women’s labor and climate change. Mateo, who has conducted extensive studies on sustainable development, women’s economic empowerment, and the private sector’s role in this process, discussed how women’s labor can build resilience against climate change, strategic moves by the private sector in this area, and the importance of the care economy in this context. She also provided examples from different parts of the world, explaining how we can further unlock women’s potential in climate action and support this process with innovative solutions.

“Understanding Women’s Labor” Workshop

Following the panel, a workshop was held to showcase the craftsmanship of women in Anatolia in both traditional and contemporary handicrafts. With creative contributions from Zeliha Sağlam, the workshop provided an impressive experience exploring the artistic and cultural dimensions of women’s labor in Anatolia, demonstrating that handcrafts are not merely an aesthetic production process but also a means of preserving social memory and supporting economic development.