Work and family reconciliation in Turkey: young women as a vulnerable group in the labour market

Abstract

ABSTRACT Women are considered one of the most vulnerable groups in Turkey in terms of their labour market participation. This article explores the changing features of work and family reconciliation; the possible effects of newly introduced labour market policies on flexibility, and childcare arrangements. The vulnerability of women – young women in particular – in the labour market manifests itself in two areas: access to the labour market and staying in the labour market. The problems of access and continuity can be explained by difficulties in reconciling work and family life and by a labour market structure that creates vulnerabilities for young women, particularly those with a low level of education who engage in informal and precarious jobs. We argue that policies that aim to support women’s employment are situated in the wider context of policies that are designed to promote flexible employment practices, and as such, their capacity for creating decent work opportunities for women is questioned. Furthermore, in the absence of adequate public childcare (which reflects the traditional gender division of labour within the family), ostensibly women-friendly measures fail to produce the desired outcome: an increase in female employment. Flexible measures end up increasing the vulnerability of young women who are engaged in precarious jobs. This situation will persist unless policies are instituted that reconcile work and family and that address gender and class inequalities by providing extensive childcare facilities.