Main Objectives of the Strategy

Ensuring Basic Welfare

The World Bank Group aims to increase women’s access to health, education and social services to ensure their basic well-being. In this context, it is emphasized that gender equality policies should be implemented more effectively in health and education systems. Women’s access to health services and equal opportunities in education form the basis of gender equality.

Economic Participation and Leadership

Increasing women’s economic participation and leadership roles is another important component of the strategy. The World Bank Group aims to develop programs that support women’s entrepreneurship and policies to prevent gender discrimination in the workplace. Increasing women’s participation in the labor force promotes economic growth and improves the well-being of societies. Therefore, it is crucial to provide the necessary environment for women to participate more actively in economic life.

Funding and Large Scale Programs

The financing and large-scale programs needed to achieve gender equality are an important part of the strategy. The World Bank Group plans to increase the impact of gender equality projects by allocating more resources to them. These projects aim to increase women’s access to economic opportunities, reduce gender-based violence and raise public awareness on gender equality.

Türkiye and Gender Equality

Türkiye has taken important steps towards gender equality, but there is still room for improvement. The World Bank Group’s strategy includes the reforms and policies needed to achieve gender equality in countries like Türkiye. Women’s labor force participation rate in Türkiye is below the world average, but recent legislative reforms and public awareness efforts aim to improve this situation. Achieving gender equality in education and the labor market will contribute significantly to Türkiye’s economic and social development.

The World Bank Group Gender Strategy 2024-2030 offers comprehensive and effective measures to achieve gender equality. Ensuring women’s full and equal participation in economic, social and political life is critical for sustainable development and poverty reduction. This strategy will contribute to empowering women and making societies more just and equitable.

Technology: A Hope or a Threat for Equal Opportunity in Education?

The report states that increasing internet access and digital device ownership in low- and middle-income countries is a positive development for equality of opportunity in education. In particular, distance learning opportunities overcome geographical barriers, enabling more students to access quality education. However, some underlying problems should not be ignored in this optimistic picture.

The digital divide – inequalities in internet access and digital device ownership – can further deepen the education gap between different socioeconomic groups. In particular, girls, students with disabilities, those living in rural areas and students belonging to ethnic minorities may face greater disadvantages in the digital world. Therefore, for technology to support equality and diversity in education, the digital divide must first be bridged.

Inclusive Education Content and Teacher Training: Cornerstones of the DEI

Equality of opportunity in education is not limited to access. It is also important that students with different learning styles, cultural backgrounds and special needs have access to educational content that represents them and responds to their needs. At this point, inclusive educational content and teacher training play a critical role.

Digital education content should take into account different student groups and reflect diversity. Teachers should also be aware of DEI issues and reflect these values in the classroom. Technology can support teachers in this regard and help them reach diverse student groups.

Algorithmic Bias and Digital Literacy: New Challenges, New Solutions

Technology brings new challenges for equal opportunities in education. Algorithmic bias can cause AI-powered educational tools to discriminate against certain groups of students. This can further deepen inequality in education.

Inequalities in digital literacy can also arise due to differences in students’ ability to use technology effectively. These inequalities can prevent students from benefiting equally from education.

To overcome these challenges, mechanisms to detect and mitigate algorithmic bias need to be developed, digital literacy training needs to be mainstreamed, and digital education tools need to be designed to suit the needs of different student groups.

Conclusion: Technology can be a Tool for Equity and Diversity in Education

UNESCO’s 2024 GEM Report raises important questions by taking an in-depth look at the impact of technology on equity and diversity (DEI) in education. While technology has the potential to increase equality of opportunity in education, it also risks exacerbating existing inequalities. However, with the right policies and practices, technology can be a powerful tool to promote equity and diversity in education.

This report is a call to action for educators, policymakers and all stakeholders. It invites them to think and act on how technology in education can be used to build a just and inclusive future for all.

Key Findings of the Report

Legal and Regulatory Barriers

The report identifies legal and regulatory barriers that limit women’s full and equal participation in economic life. For example, in some countries, women are prohibited from working in certain sectors, while in others the permitting process for women to start their own businesses can be more difficult and lengthy than for men.

The report, shows that legal barriers limiting women’s economic participation still exist in many economies.

Economic Participation and Opportunities

The report also highlights the steps that need to be taken to increase women’s economic participation.

“Increasing women’s labor force participation rates can spur economic growth and play an important role in reducing poverty.” – World Bank.

Legal Reform Recommendations

The report also includes recommended legal reforms to increase women’s participation in economic life. These reforms include enacting stronger laws against gender discrimination in the workplace and implementing policies that encourage women’s participation in the workforce.

“Proposed legal reforms to increase women’s participation in economic life include stronger laws against gender discrimination in the workplace and the implementation of policies that encourage women’s participation in the labor force.” – World Bank.

Türkiye and Gender Equality

Türkiye is also included in this global report and presents significant challenges and opportunities for women’s participation in economic life. Women’s labor force participation rate in Türkiye remains below the world average, but recent legal regulations and social awareness efforts aim to improve this situation.

The report “Women, Business, and the Law 2024” sets out in detail what needs to be done to ensure women’s full and equal participation in economic life. Increasing women’s economic participation brings huge benefits not only for individuals, but also for societies and economies. Therefore, achieving gender equality through legal reforms and social awareness raising is key to sustainable development.

Findings of the Report

The report examines in detail the reasons why Türkiye ranks at the bottom of the world in gender equality. In particular, it ranks 90th in women’s participation in education, 133rd in economic and labor force participation, 98th in health and survival rates, and 96th in pay equality in the same job. These rankings reveal how far Türkiye lags behind in gender equality and how much work remains to be done in this area.

Women’s Participation in the Economy

Insufficient participation of women in the economy is cited as one of the main reasons why Türkiye lags behind in this ranking. Işıl Kurnaz from the Women’s Coalition summarizes this situation with the statement “We are setting the lower limit of the continent”. While women’s labor force participation rate in Türkiye is 18.5%, it ranges between 42.4% and 69.3% in Europe. This shows that women’s economic independence is severely limited. Low economic participation results in women not getting a sufficient share of economic growth and deepening poverty.

Where Laws Fail

The report also emphasizes the inadequacies of the laws. While women’s economic freedom is decreasing, equal opportunity in access to health services and education is not ensured. In addition, the lack of recognition of women’s rights in family and inheritance law is also a major problem. The limitation of women’s economic independence constitutes a major obstacle to gender equality efforts in general. In Türkiye, laws need to be strengthened and enforced to enable women to participate more in economic and social life.

Comparison with Europe

Compared to other countries in Europe, Türkiye suffers from serious inequality in economic and social indicators. While gender equality in labor force participation is over 50% in Europe, this rate is less than 30% in Türkiye. This shows that Türkiye has a long way to go in terms of gender equality. While in most European countries women are more equal in economic and social life, this remains a major problem in Türkiye.

Social and Economic Inequalities

The report also details the impact of social and economic inequalities in Türkiye on women’s lives. The lack of legal recognition of rights to divorce, reproductive health and family and inheritance law are among the main challenges women face in Türkiye. It is emphasized that the gap between the existence of gender equality at the legal level and its practical implementation needs to be closed. Türkiye should make improvements in these areas to ensure that women are in a stronger position in social and economic life.

Cultural and Geographical Factors

Türkiye’s geographical and cultural location is also among the factors affecting its position on gender equality. Türkiye, which has similar problems with countries in the Middle East and North Africa, lags behind many countries in this region in terms of gender equality. Türkiye, which ranks similarly to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar and Kuwait, should emphasize regional and global cooperation to accelerate progress in this area.

Conclusion

WEF’s 2024 report clearly reveals Türkiye’s poor performance on gender equality and the steps that need to be taken in this area. Increasing women’s participation in economic and social life, increasing their access to education and health services, and securing their legal rights are among the key steps Türkiye needs to take to improve its gender equality situation. Türkiye should realize the necessary reforms in these areas and ensure that women have a stronger place in social life.

Causes of Queen Bee Syndrome

The causes of queen bee syndrome are not fully understood. However, it is thought that this syndrome may be caused by the following factors:

• Male-dominated work culture: In a male-dominated work culture, women are often less supported and subject to more prejudice than men. This can lead women to be more competitive and aggressive towards their fellow women.
• Women’s lack of self-confidence: Some women may not be confident enough in themselves. This can lead them to feel the need to prove themselves to their fellow women.
• Women’s competitive nature: Some women may have an innately competitive nature. This can lead them to compete with their peers to achieve business success.

Effects of Queen Bee Syndrome

The effects of queen bee syndrome at work can be as follows:

• Reduced collaboration between women: Queen bee syndrome makes it difficult for women to collaborate with and support each other. This can
  prevent women from advancing in the workplace.
• Increased competition between women: Queen bee syndrome can make women more competitive at work. This can cause women to experience stress and tension.
• Increased hostility and conflict between women: Queen bee syndrome can lead to increased hostility and conflict between women. This can lead to workplace unrest and reduced productivity.

What can be done to prevent Queen Bee syndrome?

The following measures can be taken to prevent queen bee syndrome:

• Changing the male-dominated work culture: Changing the male-dominated work culture will ensure that women are more supported and less subject to prejudice in the workplace. This can prevent women from becoming more competitive and aggressive towards their peers.
• Increasing women’s self-confidence: Increasing women’s self-confidence will enable them to adopt a more supportive attitude towards their fellow women. This will help women to be more successful in business life.
• Channeling competitiveness in positive directions: Directing competitiveness in positive directions will help women to be more efficient and productive in business life. This can also lead to better relationships with their fellow women.

In conclusion, the queen bee syndrome is an obstacle to gender equality in business life. To prevent this syndrome, men and women need to adopt a more egalitarian approach to work life.

In “Sesi Açıyoruz!”, we aimed to share not only success stories but also real stories that contain the courage to fall down and the strength to start again.
The program has become a platform where our guests, have the courage to share their difficulties, their own stories, ups and downs, regrets and successes with sincerity but by raising their voices.

The positive feedback we received from our valuable viewers who followed our program shows that the program contributed to many people. However, I think I benefited the most as the host; my guests were struggling people who shaped their lives for a purpose, giving opportunity and support to others. It was invaluable for me to get to know them and be inspired by them. Thank you to all our viewers and guests this year.

In 2023, we witnessed a lot of different ways of thinking and gained awareness together in “Sesi Açıyoruz!”.
Some of the learnings were upsetting:

• Gender equality still has a long way to go.
• Technology, unfortunately, does not contribute to gender equality.
• There is still gender inequality in the art world.
• In our country, 82% of young people are subjected to violence because of their gender.

From our esteemed guests who enlightened us with their experiences, we were encouraged by learning the following:

• Curiosity is the secret key to success.
• We should be open to forgetting and relearning as much as knowing.
• The importance of being multi-talented and emotionally intelligent is increasing.
• In business and private life, it is important to be who we are, not other identities.
• There is a place for emotions in business life.
• We should be aware of our unconscious prejudices and stereotypes.
• We have to ask whose voices are not heard, and who has no right to speak.
• Equality of opportunity in business life is possible by excluding all issues that do not affect performance.
• True inclusion is the way to achieve equal opportunities.
• Girls should be encouraged to pursue science.
• Dreaming, not being afraid of getting a ‘no’ and working hard will lead to goals.

In 2024, we will continue to address these important issues and many more on “Sesi Açıyoruz!”.
I wish you all a year full of health, happiness and success.

With best regards,
Bahar Taşkın Öztürk

The report analyzes the representation and progress of women in business life in Turkey under five main headings

Labor force participation: The report states that the reasons for women’s low labor force participation rate in Turkey include gender roles, women being burdened with responsibilities such as childcare and housework, and women’s lack of education and skills.
Wage equality: The report states that even when men and women do the same job in Turkey, men receive higher wages than women.
Access to promotion and career opportunities: The report states that the low representation of women in managerial positions in Turkey is due to inequalities in women’s access to promotion and career opportunities.
Gender discrimination: The report states that gender discrimination in the workplace is widespread in Turkey.
Gender equality policies: The report states that policies to ensure gender equality at work are insufficient in Turkey.

The report makes some recommendations for achieving gender equality at work in Turkey

Work to change gender roles: Gender roles negatively affect women’s participation in the labor force and access to career opportunities.
Therefore, it is necessary to work on changing gender roles.
Implementing legislation on gender equality: Although Turkey is in a good position in terms of legislation on gender equality, more efforts are needed to put these into practice.
Effectively enforce legislation against gender discrimination: Gender discrimination hinders women’s participation in the labor force and access to career opportunities. It is therefore necessary to effectively enforce legislation against gender discrimination.
Strengthen training and awareness raising on gender equality: Training and awareness raising on gender equality can help change gender roles and increase women’s labor force participation and access to career opportunities.
Employers to develop and implement gender equality policies: Employers should develop and implement policies to ensure gender equality.

PwC Turkey Women in Working Life Index 2023 is an important report in terms of assessing the state of gender equality at work in Turkey and providing recommendations on measures to be taken in this regard. The report can help raise awareness on gender equality in business life and provide recommendations on the measures that need to be taken to achieve this equality.

Highlights of the report

• Women’s labor force participation rate is low in Turkey.
• Even when women and men do the same job, men receive higher wages than women.
• The representation of women in managerial positions is low in Turkey.
• Gender discrimination in the workplace is widespread in Turkey.
  Policies to ensure gender equality at work are insufficient in Turkey.
• These findings indicate that more efforts are needed to achieve gender equality in the world of work in Turkey.

Sarah Hendriks, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, said: “This year’s report is a call to action for the Sustainable Development Goals. We must act collectively and consciously now for a world where every woman and girl has equal rights, opportunities, and representation.” Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, UN DESA Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, emphasizes the importance of gender equality: “Gender equality is not just a goal in the 2030 Agenda, it is a goal on which we must build all other goals.” Published by UN Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the “Progress on Sustainable Development Goals: Gender Equality 2023 Status Report” stands out as an indicator of efforts to achieve gender equality around the world. An in-depth analysis of the report reveals several striking headlines.

Climate Change and Food Insecurity

According to the report, climate change-induced food insecurity could affect 236 million women and girls, as well as 131 million more men and boys. This stands out as an important indicator of gender-based impacts.

Intimate Partner Violence and Country Situation

Another important point made in the report is that no country in the world has eliminated intimate partner violence. This shows that a major global social problem persists.

Number of Countries Investing in Gender Equality

The report reveals that only 27 countries have comprehensive systems in place to ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment and allocate budgets for these areas. This highlights the need for more countries to make efforts in this regard.

Women and Girls Affected by Conflict

The report notes that the number of women and girls affected by conflict is on the rise. The fact that this number has risen to 614 million in 2022 shows the necessity for the international community to find more effective solutions in this regard.

Gender Discrimination in Education and the Threat to the Future

At the current rate, 110 million girls and young women will be deprived of education in 2030. This shows that gender discrimination in education is a major threat to the future.

Labor and Income Gap

The report reveals that the labor and income gap between men and women remains high. Globally, women earn only 51 cents for every dollar earned by men. This highlights the challenges of gender inequality in the world of work.

Housework and Care Responsibility

At the current rate of progress, women of the next generation will, on average, do 2.3 hours more unpaid care and housework per day than men. The report emphasizes that the goal of gender equality will be increasingly difficult to achieve and calls for further efforts.

The report also includes the following data:

• Food insecurity due to climate change could affect 236 million women and girls and 131 million more men and boys.
• No country in the world has eliminated intimate partner violence.
• Only 27 countries have comprehensive systems and budgets for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• The number of women and girls affected by conflict has increased significantly. In 2022, this figure has risen to 614 million. This is 50 percent more than in 2017. At the current rate, an estimated 110 million girls and young women will be deprived of education in 2030. The labor and income gaps between women and men remain high.
• Globally, women earn 51 cents for every dollar earned by men. While 90 percent of men in their most productive years participate in the labor force, the corresponding figure for women is 61.4 percent.
• At the current rate of progress, women of the next generation will, on average, do 2.3 hours more unpaid care and housework per day than men.

The participation of LGBTI+ individuals in business life is also still facing problems. Legal regulations such as same-sex marriage and non-discrimination bans have not yet been enacted in Türkiye, which leads to discrimination and exclusion of LGBTI+ individuals in business life.
In conclusion, diversity, equity, and inclusion in business life in Turkey still face serious challenges. Businesses need to be more aware of these issues and adopt policies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.