Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
After President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, when he was prime minister, proposed that every family should have at least three children, steps encouraging government measures in this direction were expected sooner or later.
On Jan. 8, the current Prime Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu announced the long-awaited "Family protection reforms package." Indeed, the package of reforms included earlier overlooked points that provide many benefits to women.
Mothers will now be paid 300 TL for the birth of the first child, 400 TL for the second child, and 600 TL for the birth of the third child.
The package also provides special benefits for young people who are going to create a family as well.
At the end of maternity and child care leave, working hours will be reduced twofold within two months for the first child and within four months for the second child.
Another important part of the reform package tightens the punishment for the violence against women.
These actions will not be insignificant for Turkey. But one can not rule out that this package, intended to improve the social welfare of women, might first be used against women.
After this package of reforms enters into force in Turkey, the unemployment among women is expected to increase since the work schedule corresponding to the package of reforms does not benefit private entrepreneurs in the private sector.
Touching upon this issue in his speech, the country's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu advised entrepreneurs to take on additional labor force. But private sector businessmen will unlikely do this, and will more probably favor hiring males.
Around 3,064,000 unemployed were registered in the country in 2014, according to Turkish Statistical Institute. The unemployment rate among men and women is 9.1 percent and 13.6 percent, respectively.
Some 50.7 percent of the employed people work in various service sectors.
The statistical data said that 3,963,000 women work in various service sectors, 2,632,000 in agriculture, 1,249,000 in the industrial sphere and 78,000 women are employed in the construction sector.
Edited by CN
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Rufiz Hafizoglu is the head of Trend Agency's Arabic news service, follow him on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
