ORGANIZING FOR EQUALITY AGAINST DISCRIMINATION CAMPAIGN
October 10, 2001, to March 15, 2002
Campaign Rationale:
Despite comprising one-third of public sector employees, women have a low membership rate in unions. The adverse effects of neoliberal economic policies disproportionately impact women, highlighting the need for women’s unionization.
Unions, advocating for the protection and enhancement of economic and social rights for workers, should also actively strive for gender equality. Organizing is crucial to eliminate the negative conditions faced by women.
Female public sector workers encounter gender biases in promotions, appointments, in-service training, and throughout their working lives. Women are most affected by unfavorable working conditions, with issues such as short paid maternity leave periods and insufficient childcare facilities being particularly pressing.
To address these issues, the implementation of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions-ICFTU’s “End Discrimination, Equality for Women, Right Now” Action Plan, of which KESK is a member, is necessary.
Campaign Objectives:
- Highlighting various forms of economic, social, and political inequalities and gender discrimination in family and societal spheres, fostering awareness of equality.
- Developing and strengthening solidarity relationships among unionized and non-unionized female public employees against gender-biased regulations in the workplace.
- Implementing organizational measures and positive support policies at the union level to increase the number of female members.
- Identifying and eliminating barriers to equal participation of women in decision-making and management processes.
- Creating education plans and programs based on women’s common and unique demands, promoting women’s union participation.
Campaign Demands:
- Modernizing dress code regulations to allow women to wear trousers in the workplace.
- Establishing childcare facilities in workplaces with a minimum of 50 employees.
- Changing the gender-biased perspective in the workplace, ensuring equality in appointments and promotions.
- Increasing financial assistance for public employees with children.
- Extending pre- and post-birth paid leave.
- Establishing rehabilitation centers for women who have experienced violence.
- Providing family assistance to women and adjusting it according to current conditions.
Campaign Activities:
- Displaying and distributing posters, leaflets, etc., containing campaign demands extensively in workplaces.
- Sending letters to female public sector workers explaining the campaign demands.
- Visiting media institutions to share discriminatory practices faced by female public sector workers and campaign demands.
- Sharing campaign demands with independent women’s organizations and mixed-gender organizations.
- Holding mass press releases.
- Organizing a signature campaign for the campaign demands.
- Submitting signed petitions containing campaign demands to the Turkish Grand National Assembly through mass action.
- Pant Campaign: On December 7, 2001, KESK women protested against the ban on wearing trousers by going to their workplaces in trousers, conducting press releases in front of their workplaces. The media showed significant interest, making the protest a nationwide agenda.
Campaign Achievements:
- Raised awareness of gender-based discrimination in public workplaces.
- Increased women’s union participation.
- The ban on wearing trousers was lifted.
Introduction Invitation
Action Plan
Academic Recommendations
