The exclusion of women in working life comes into existence as their inability to participate in the workforce or their abandonment of the labor market and their exposure to discrimination in the labor market. The unemployment rate among women in the world has been gradually increasing compared to men. The number of unemployed women has increased from 70.2 million to 81.6 million in 2007. While the unemployment rate for women is 6.4%, it is 5.7% for men. Women often have to work in those sectors with low productivity, which have economic risks and lack of social protection; because they cannot find a job. At the same time, women working in such jobs are paid less than men. 66% of women involved in employment are employed without registering in any social security institution.
International Regulations Regarding Working Women:
The laws of organizations such as Organization for Economic Coo- peration and Development (OECD), United Nations Education Scien- ce and Culture Organizations (UNESCO), International Labor Organi- zation (ILO), United Nations (UN) and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and contracts signed by many countries are the most impor- tant sources with respect to International Regulations on Women.
Regulations Regarding Women Working in Turkey:
Article 10 of the Constitution says that; “Men and women have equ- al rights. The State has the obligation to ensure that this equality exists in practice. Measures taken for this purpose shall not be interpreted as contrary to the principle of equality.”
Article 50 of the Constitution says that; “No one shall be required to perform work unsuited to his/her sex, women shall enjoy special protection with regard to working conditions.”
Article 5 of Labor Law indicates the Prohibition of Discrimination.
As a result, the exclusion of women from the working life basically starts with the inequality of opportunity of them in education and get- ting a profession; and goes forward with discriminatory practices that women encounter with respect to wages and benefits, recruitment, dismissal and other practices. It should be accepted that working life of women is their most important human right, and women be- ing involved in working life and so in the social and political life by force of Social State Principle should be adopted as a state policy and necessary measures must be taken to achieve this.
Member of the Board of Directors of Istanbul Bar Association President of the Turkish
Association of Women in Legal Profession
Att. Süreyya TURAN
bilgi@turkhukukcukadinlar.org.tr