Too few women in Turkish workforce, Deputy PM Babacan says

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan has said, speaks during at the Forum Istanbul conference on May 13. AA Photo

Turkey unfortunately lags behind Western countries in women’s participation in the labor force, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan has said, speaking during a Forum Istanbul session on May 13.

Babacan, the most senior figure in the government responsible for economic issues, stressed that female participation in the Turkish local labor force had risen in recent years, from 23.3 percent in 2004 to 30.8 percent in 2014, but said this rate was still low.

“Between 2009 and 2013, 42 percent of all those entering the workforce were women,” he said.
The rate is much lower than the 55 percent rate in European Union member countries for the same period, and is almost half the 62 percent in the U.S.

“As a government we have started many campaigns for schooling girls. Two million students have started school thanks to those campaigns,” Babacan added.