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Project Approval

Gender Equality in Turkey And The World

Discriminative and sexist policies and practices remain in every corner of the world although gender equality is a fundamental human right. Equality in 2030 is targeted in any and all decision mechanisms in politics and social life through social gender equality that is considered among the UN Sustainable Development Objectives, and the women constituting half of the world want to believe that this target can be achieved in the upcoming decade.

Denoting the disproportionate differences or inequalities between women and men, gender inequality is also referred to as gender deficit or gap. In order to eliminate the inequalities manifesting themselves broadly and deeply in access to education, participation in business life, taking part in political and economic decision-making positions, women and men must have equal rights and opportunities in society, they can use them equally, and they must be treated equally by the society.

The fact women lack the opportunities to participate in economic, social, political and cultural lives of their countries at an equal level with men causes the welfare of the society to remain at low levels. In other words, gender equality affects acquisitions of not only women but all members of the society and contributes to social and economic development. Increasing the awareness in individuals and the society on equality is regarded as an important step towards decreasing inequality.

Gender equality/inequality is measured by common parameters created by using a series of statistics. Equality of women and men in access to education and health services, participation in business life and politics, are questioned through statistics. World Economic Forum's Gender Inequality Index, Gender Equality Index of European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), OECD Social Institutions and Gender Equality SIGI Index and UN Development Programme's (UNDP) Gender Inequality Index stand out among the most referred sources. From a global perspective, it is stated that it is necessary to wait another 100 years to achieve full equality, while under-representation of women in economic and political decision-making mechanisms is considered as the main indicator of gender inequality.

Turkey ranks at the 130th place among 153 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Inequality Index 2020. We are at the 60th place in the OECD's SIGI Index 2019 covering 123 countries. On the other hand, since we are candidate countries within the scope of EIGE 2019 Gender Equality Index, where 28 EU member countries are listed, our result is not officially announced.

World Economic Forum's Global Gender Inequality Index 2020, the most recent survey which includes our country, too, consists of 4 main sections namely education, health, economic participation and political power, and gives a score the between 0 (inequality) to 1 (equality) to the countries. While Iceland, which is at the top of the list, has taken 88 out of 100 steps that need to be taken for full equality with 0.877 points, we see that our country remains in 63.5 steps. When we look at the situation of our country on the basis of subdivisions, despite the increase in the rate of women participating in the working life and the rate of women politicians at both local and national level, we are 136th among 153 countries with a score of 0.478 in terms of economic participation and 109th in terms of political power with a score of 0.142.

Which fields should we focus on in order to ensure the gender equality? Rates of participation of women in labour force, levels of equality in access to suitable working conditions, promotion (rate of women working in public and private sector, rate of women who are senior managers, rate of women in jobs requiring technical knowledge, skills and expertise) and in gains (equal access to financial resources, equal pay for equal job) and in taking part in key decision-making positions (rate of women taking part in top management, as CEO or Board member, key decision-making positions at the Central Bank and banks).

In addition, since income inequalities and poverty are increasingly concentrated on women, gender distribution in the highest and lowest income segments and the population without poverty risk is also considered in calculating some indices.

As increase in the presence of women in the male-dominant fields has the potential to create positive changes in society by bringing a different perspective to corporate practices, political representation rates are an indicator of women's power in decision-making mechanisms. Rates of women, starting from the top level, in the positions of president, prime minister, minister, parliamentarian, mayor, party leader, party management organ member; central decision and management board member, provincial and district head, and mukhtar, and for how many years the country was governed by a woman in the last 50 countries, are checked by calculating the equality score in political representation.

In EIGE Index, the statistics on how women and men spend/use the time, how much time they can allocate to care works (family, child, elderly, home, animal, plant) and social activities (sportive, cultural activities, leisure/entertainment, and volunteering and social services, benevolence and charity works), are also taken into account. It is questioned whether women can establish business-private life balance while working both in business and at home. Violence against women is regarded as the intersections set of all inequalities.

As it is impossible for us to cover all these areas of problem through the SAGE in Work project, assessing the place of our country in the general ranking and economic participation ranking of the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Inequality Index from 2006 to present (Table 1), we decided to focus on the field of economic participation, in which we could not exceed the last 20 places, i.e. the problems of women in business life.

Table 1: Performance of Turkey in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Inequality Index

		Genral Ranking		Ranking in terms of Economic Participation
Year	Number of Countries	Rank	Score	Rank	Score
2006	115	105	0.585	106	0.434
2007	128	121	0.577	118	0.431
2008	130	123	0.535	124	0.413
2009	134	129	0.583	130	0.400
2010	134	126	0.588	131	0.386
2011	135	122	0.595	132	0.389
2012	135	124	0.602	129	0.414
2013	136	120	0.608	127	0.427
2014	142	125	0.618	125	0.453
2015	145	130	0.624	131	0.459
2016	144	130	0.623	129	0.464
2017	144	131	0.625	128	0.471
2018	149	130	0.628	131	0.466
2020	153	130	0.635	136	0.478

Source: Compiled from the 2006-2020 reports of World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Gender Inequality, the last index published in November 2019 and created based on the data of 2019 and was names as the 2020 report.

The 2019 data of Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) on equality in business life underlines that the path is long. Lack of decisive social policies supporting female employment multiplies the inequalities. As of 2018, rate of the employed women is 28.9%. Women participate in labour force more as their educational levels increase. Rate of participation of illiterate women in labour force is 15.9%, rate of women with education lower than high school is 27.7%, and rate of high school graduate women is 34.3%. This rate rises to 72.7% in higher education graduate women. However, only 14.5% of the women are university graduates.

A range of economic and social factors such as the fact that child, parent or elderly care is considered to be under women's responsibility due to the stereotype judgments on social gender, inadequate educational level of women, low wages, gender-based discrimination in recruitments, promotion inequalities, pose an impediment to participation of women in the labour force. According to the results of TURKSTAT's Household Labour Force Survey, household chores at a rate of 55.3% are among the main reasons why women are not included in the labour force.

Even in the academic environment, which is considered as one of the woman-friendly working areas, the race which initially started equally, goes in favour of men over years. In the period 2017-2018, half (50.2%) of the research assistant positions, 38.8% of the associate professors, 31.2% of the professors, and only 17.3% of those in managerial positions, consisted of women.

Looking at the ongoing issues, the question arises whether the existing legal infrastructure is sufficient to ensure gender equality. In fact, the Constitution guarantees gender equality in Turkey. In the 1980s, the women's movement whose roots date back to the Ottoman Empire gained momentum, and in the 2000s, harmonization of the Civil Code, Penal Code and relevant laws with the EU norms by amending them, created a favourable ground for gender equality. The Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1985. Turkey was the first country to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, which is also referred to as Istanbul Convention as it was opened for signature in Istanbul in 2011, and the contract entered into force on August 1, 2014.

On the other hand, CEDAW Committee recommended Turkey in 2016 to take measures which will ensure equal and full political representation of women at local and national level, to implement temporary special measures which will ensure equality as soon as possible in education, labour force market or all fields where they are disadvantageous.

Although these conventions and the Sustainable Development Objective no. 5 aimed at ensuring gender equality creates a major motivation for change, do broad masses need to acquire more knowledge about the social gender concept to overcome the danger that the laws and regulations remaining on paper? Can the dream of a more equal, more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world become real through increase of the awareness on equality and to take such steps which will eliminate gender inequality in the society? Can a change be ensured in stereotype judgments? Can a radical solution be found to the problem? These were the root questions that led our association to develop the SAGE in Work project.

Soroptimist Advocate Gender Equality (Sage) in Work Project

The Civil Society Sector was defined as a separate sector in the second period of the European Union (EU) Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II) covering the years 2014-2020. In this respect, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs European Union Presidency was authorized as a leading agency that will carry out the work of scheduling and monitoring the projects to be implemented within the civil society sector. The Civil Society Programme supports participation of the CSOs in decision-making mechanisms, development of their communication, administrative and advocacy skills. One of the four different components of the programme is the EU Grant Scheme for Grassroots CSOs.

One of the projects support within the framework of the EU Grant Scheme for Grassroots CSOs was the SAGE in Work project. The grant convention was signed on November 23, 2018 in Ankara, and the project started to be implemented as of January 2, 2019.

As the 2019 slogan of the Soroptimist International which the Association of Business and Professional Women of Etiler Soroptimist Club is affiliated to was determined as "Road to Equality", world Soroptimists started to walk on the "Road to Equality". Soroptimist International of Europe (SIE) emphasized on women's solidarity with the slogan "We Stand Up for Women". TSKF was saying "We Will Succeed Together". And our slogan became "EQUALITY " with a great harmony.

Main Target of the Project

The SAGE in Work project aims to reinforce the awareness about why gender equality is needed in the labour life; to contribute to better understanding of different problem areas and developing possible solutions by prioritizing the topics of participation in employment, equal pay for equal job, equal promotion opportunities and equal representation in decision mechanisms. Moreover, it expects that project outputs create a step which will influence favourably in terms of elimination of inequality in participation of women in economic life in Turkey.

The emotion we want to create in the youth is that women's leadership is possible; that women understand mathematics, technology and management, too; that technology can create an opportunity for equality; that struggle is necessary to increase political representation of the women; that women's contribution is essential for economic leap; that equal and effective representation of women in labour life is a fundamental human right; and that the problems regarding exercise of this right can be solved in cooperation.

Hence, general objective of the SAGE in Work project can be summarized as instilling the understanding about the concept of social gender equality in labour life.

Special objectives of the project are increasing the awareness on gender equality in labour life and empowering young women by organising such trainings, programmes and activities which will render apparent the inequalities in the fields of participation in employment, income, time and power.

The activities that will ensure achieving these targets were designed by paying regard to the needs of the young for hope, courage, orientation, encouragement and support, through calculating their potentials of contributing to ending the gender-based violations in business life and ensuring equality, and especially for female university students to participate and have a permanent place in labour life.

Target Group and Stakeholders

The groups which would be affected by the results of the SAGE in Work project directly and favourably constitute out target audience. Women who are working and/or preparing for labour life; student clubs involved in social gender, social equality and labour life and undergraduate and graduate students at the universities located in Istanbul; and woman research centers; members of Etiler Soroptimist Club; members of the Soroptimist International of Europe; TSKF member Soroptimists; TSKF scholars including the association's scholars; members of the CSOs such as KAGIDER, Yanındayız, Women In Work, Women on Board of Directors, Turkish University Graduate Woman; women who directly participate in project activities or follow up our social media accounts, are those who are directly and favourably affected by the results of our project; whereas their families, friends and immediate circles became our indirect beneficiaries.

Our other stakeholder who support the implementation of the SAGE in Work project were the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs EU Presidency; Republic of Turkey Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services; Republic of Turkey Ministry of Treasury and Finance Central Finance and Tender Unit; EU Delegation; managements and woman studies, social service and social gender work units Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and district municipalities; Management of Soroptimist International of Europe (SIE); and SIE member Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Iceland, Rwanda, Kenya, Austria, Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kuwait Soroptimist Federations; TSKF Management; Istanbul, Boğaziçi, Şişli, Levent, Ataköy, Marmara, Moda, Pendik Soroptimist clubs; sister clubs of our association: Gaziosmanpaşa club from Ankara, Karşıyaka club from Izmir; Balat Culture House; Aydın, Ayvansaray, Bahçeşehir, Beykoz, Galatasaray, İstinye, Maltepe, Marmara, Medeniyet, Medipol, Nişantaşı, Yeditepe, Istanbul Technical Universities; Bahçeşehir University International Law Club; Beykoz University Women's Club; Galatasaray University Women Club; Istanbul Aydın University Women Club; Istanbul Ayvansaray University Social Service Club; Istanbul Medeniyet University Philosophy Club; Istanbul Medipol University Social Service Club; Marmara University Entrepreneur Women's Club; İstinye University Social Work Club; Nişantaşı University Social Service Club; Yeditepe University Women Club; KAGİDER, Yanındayız, Galatasaraylılar associations; and Genpa and Yapı Kredi Bankası.

Sage in Work Project Implementation Process

SAGE in Work project was implemented in Istanbul in the period January-December 2019, and it had our main components:

• 1. ChangEquality University Activities gender equality awareness trainings are performed for young women and men studying at undergraduate and graduate programmes of the universities,
• 2. ChangEquality Ambassadors' Programme being conducted with voluntary participations of the undergraduate students at the universities to ensure sustainability of the SAGE İN WORK project,
• 3. Mentorship Programme by professional business and vocational women empowering young women who are preparing for business life to become permanent and powerful actors of the economic life,
• 4. Women Bridging Glass Cliff: International Conference on Gender Equality in Working Life, where a closer look is taken at the existing social gender inequality in business life and such practices and policies which will solve the problems are shared.

Formation of the Project Work Team

The SAGE in Work project started with formation of the Project Work Team. Our association president, vice president and accountant were in search for a project coordinator to be employed during the project on one hand, made call to other association members to participate in the work team on the other hand. Our team was completed by determination of our project coordinator, who will be responsible for the planning, execution and finalization of all program activities of the project by working with the project team created with volunteers, will follow the budgeting and reporting, and deliver the closing files and reports to the project fund providers.

We created WhatsApp and e-mail groups with the project work team members. We also established two ad hoc commissions, one for social media operations and the other for measurement & assessment. The first activity of the Project Team was the project general introduction made to the members on December 29, 2018. We held our first meeting following the project implementation training, which was organised by the EU Presidency in Ankara through January 8-10, 2019 and in which we attended through our Project Coordinator, Association President and Vice President, carried out our division of labour, and decided to meet every week on Thursdays.

Gül Üstün, who chaired the association for the first five months, and Melek Sine Berkem, who served for the last seven months, were present in each activity for monitoring and control of general process of the project. Besides being the project director, Gül Üstün was responsible for planning and execution of the ChangEquality University Activities and Gender Ambassadorship programme. Melek Sine Berkem managed implementation of communication strategy of the project in parallel with the duty of presidency. Hüray Böke established the four-people coordination team and executed the mentorship programme. İnci Erdem ensured determination of the framework and content of the conference besides measuring and assessing the influence of the mentorship programme together with Hale Cide Demir. Emine Erdem played a key role in designing the conference programme, primarily its international leg, inviting and entertaining the speakers, and putting in place the organisation with its finest details. Our supplier contracts were executed with the assistance of our lawyer members Seren Sapmaz and Yudum Uğur. Besides her legal advisory duties, Seren Sapmaz took part in the social media and visibility team together with Suzan Tepe, and ensured the communication materials to emerge consistently with project targets. All kinds of monetary proceedings of the project were carried out by Zehra Canfesci.

Meeting agenda or decisions were shared with association members were deemed necessary. Moreover, other Soroptimist associations in Turkey were notified through the monthly circulars uploaded on TSKF website, and activities performed were shared on TSKF and SIE websites through programme focus reports.

Visibility and Social Media Activities

Since it is important to make the activities and messages visible as well as the best realization of the project activities in line with the objectives, we first created a communication strategy to guide us. We decided to concentrate on two main points following the SWOT analysis: raising the awareness on social gender equality and increasing the recognition level of our association. We listed how, where, when, to whom, with which supportive materials we want to communicate the messages that will serve these two purposes within the scope of the project activities.

We received professional support within the scope of the project for visibility activities and social media communication. We paid care attention to the language, images and discourse to be used in the communication/awareness activities that we carried out to be consistent with each other and for the materials produced to be in conformity with the EU Presidency Visibility Guide.

Within the scope of our online activities, the firm Sinaps İletişim Ltd. Şti. implemented the communication campaign we conducted by means of our website and social media accounts to increase the visibility and share in detail the activities of the project performed on basis of its four components.

We decided to create social media messages for each activity to be carried out within the scope of the project, and to share posts before and after the activities. The photographs and videos taken during the activities constituted the main source of our social media posts following the implementation. We also ensured that the activity to be carried out is read with technical information through our posts containing information and graphics in parallel with the content of the activity, contributed for the information to become widespread and to increase of awareness.

In creating our social media post messages, we tried to use an attention-grabbing, simple, easy to understand, positive language that is consistent with the project targets. We used the logos of our founders in parallel with the logos of the association and the project in all posts. We also added a range of common hashtags to our posts: #SAGE; #İşteEşitlik; #İşteDeğişitlik;#mentorlukprogramı; #SIEtiler; #EtilerSoroptimistKulübü; #yerelstklarhibeprogramı; #siviltoplumsektoru; #soroptimistturkey; #BirlikteBaşaracağız; #WeStandUpForWomen; #RoadtoEquality.

We attained considerable increases in our social media interaction level during the project. The people following the social media accounts of the association increased by 3 folds through online communication with social media posts and direct communication during the activities. Our followers on social media increased from 50 to 522 on Instagram, to 434 on Facebook, corresponding to a total of 953 people.

Besides using the social media actively, we used various materials in order to increase visibility of the project and make the messages memorable in accordance with the activity contents: posters designed and applied separately for all our activities, pens and notepads we distribute to the users in backpacks, certificates we prepare for the attendees of our trainings and conferences, folders, invitations, kits we send to the press, brochures we distribute during conference, flags and roll-ups we use during all activities, etc. Utmost care was paid also for production of these materials as per the EU visibility rules.