Package to ‘increase’ workforce, birth rate

DÜZCE - Anadolu Agency

‘Female employment necessitates positive discrimination. But this will never make women disadvantaged in getting employed,’ says Minister Faruk Çelik. DAILY NEWS photo

Minister of Labor and Social Security Faruk Çelik said today they aimed to increase female employment as well as the birth rate in Turkey, speaking in reference to the recent female employment package prepared by the government.

“The reality of life is that the generations must grow. In this framework, female employment necessitates positive discrimination. But this will never make women disadvantaged in getting employed,” said Çelik, speaking of the government’s recent package on women’s employment.

The new package, which is increasing paternity leave from 16 weeks to 24 weeks and allows women with three children to receive full payment for working half a day, has stirred debate as to whether it would cause the recruiting of more men instead of women. Çelik told Anadolu Agency that the employment of women increased from 20 percent to 30 percent in last decade adding that this rate was still low. Çelik said the education level affected the employment level directly, saying that the female employment rate increased by up to 70 percent when the education level was increased. 

Çelik said they were working with other ministries on the package toward increasing both the employment rate and birth rate of women in the country.

“We do not aim to take decisions which prevent women’s employment. This package is carefully prepared to increase the female employment and protect a young generation. It is completely wrong to claim that this work will decrease women’s employment. It is not true either to say that our young population will become older,” said Çelik, adding that the package would support both the young generation and higher rates of female employment.