The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has presented a report in Ankara on the increasing impoverishment of women. At a press conference in the Turkish parliament, deputies Ayşe Acar Başaran, Züleyha Gülüm and Serpil Kemalbay pointed out the developments in the wake of the pandemic. "While circles close to the government are becoming richer and richer, the population is becoming more and more impoverished," said Ayşe Acar Başaran, spokesperson for the HDP Women's Council. "Women are suffering the most. The times, places and forms may be different, but the reasons and effects of women's poverty are the same everywhere. The poverty to which women are wanted to be condemned is based on the patriarchal mindset and anti-women policies."

A delegation from the HDP Women's Council toured the Aegean region of western Turkey last week to talk to women affected by poverty and evaluate their situation. The talks in Izmir and Aydin provinces took place as part of the second stage of the "Justice for Women" campaign, which has the slogan "No to Women's Poverty."

As Ayşe Acar Başaran pointed out, women are made economically dependent on men by being excluded from the realm of paid wage labor. "They are exploited as low-wage workers without social protection. However, there are also women who are resisting this and saying, 'We will not allow the feminization of poverty.' We saw that one more time during our talks in Izmir and Aydin." As examples, the HDP politician cited the situation of female street musicians, textile workers, refugees, field workers and street vendors, who work under difficult conditions for their livelihood and, as women, have to defend themselves against sexist attacks.

The HDP Women's Council demands recognition of the right to paid work and social security for women. In order to defeat women's poverty, the cycle by which poverty is passed on from one generation to the next must be broken. In addition, women's work must be made visible, says HDP Women's Council.