Pledges at W-20 summit hang in the air

During its G-20 chairmanship, Turkey took extremely important steps for the empowerment of women in the economy and gender equality. Under the G-20 umbrella, the W-20 working group was formed to carry out this important mission.

While the presidency of the W-20 was undertaken by the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey (KAGİDER), deputy chairmanship was shared by the Turkish Businesswomen Association (TİKAD) and the new Women and Democracy Association (KADEM). 

Before the G-20 summit to be held in Antalya in November, the W-20 summit was held in Istanbul a couple of days ago with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participating. 

The proposals by KAGİDER head Sanem Oktar for women to proceed in the economy with firm steps were noteworthy. 

Oktar suggested positive discrimination for female entrepreneurs in both public and private tenders. She suggested a quota should be introduced for women in tenders. 

It is being wondered whether the government, which does not like the idea of a quota for women in political participation, would take this concrete and logical proposal seriously. 

Let us see what Sare Aydın, the chair of KADEM, an association the deputy chair of which is the daughter of the president, Sümeyye Erdoğan, and which is naturally close to the government, has said.

Aydın said, “We want women to be freed from regional, local, ethnic and cultural inequalities. Our priority is to feature and protect women in all fields of life.”

Now, let us note this priority of KADEM and take a look at an incident which occurred one or two days before the W-20 summit in Istanbul, in the Kandıra district of Kocaeli, only two hours from Istanbul.

A young, newly appointed female doctor to Kandıra State Hospital named Özlem Nur Yıldız was attacked by a man who had taken his son to the emergency room for treatment. He first argued with her and then advanced on her and threatened her. 

According to the doctor, he said, “I will beat you as a woman and you will be at my mercy.” 

Well, who was this attacker, threatening the doctor by asking, “Do you know who I am?” He was the Kandıra district head of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Yunus Özder. 

Because the hospital security and other staff in the hospital were afraid to intervene, the young doctor waited in the doctors’ room until police arrived and then went to the police station. After this incident, the doctor resigned because of a lack of security. 

The Chamber of Medical Doctors of Kocaeli wants an investigation to be opened against the local AKP head on accounts of blocking health services and insulting both the identity of a doctor and the identity of a woman.

The chamber said, “Kandıra has lost a young doctor but more importantly what has caused this was a representative of political power.” 

Obviously KADEM’s words, “Our priority is to feature and protect women in all fields of life,” have not reached the ears of the AKP district head. 

Well, would the AKP remove the head of Kandıra after this striking incident? 

I have justified doubts.