A new report highlights the gender and age-based discrimination faced by women over the age of 50 in Turkey's labor market, shedding light on the challenges they endure, from lower wages to insecure working conditions. The report, titled “Gender-Based Discrimination Against Women Over 50 in Paid Employment and Proposed Solutions”, was presented to the public at the Aynalı Geçit Meeting Hall in İstanbul’s Beyoğlu district.
Compiled by researcher Helin Metin and edited by Necla Akgökçe from Kadın İşçi (Women Workers), the report is based on in-depth interviews with 24 women who shared their personal experiences. Their testimonies reveal a pattern of systemic discrimination, where women are not only marginalized due to their gender but also because of their age.
Lale, one of the women interviewed, explained her difficulties in finding a job after retirement:
"Due to my age, and because of the company I retired from and the school I graduated from, it was extremely hard for me to find work. They would always tell me, ‘We can't hire you because of your age; you’re too educated for this job, and we might not be able to meet your expectations.’ But I think these were just excuses. I believe they were simply finding reasons not to hire me because of my age or because I am a woman.”
Pınar, another interviewee, described facing ageist remarks at her workplace:
"Behind my back, they would tell the students, ‘Her age is advanced, her reflexes are slower, let’s assign you to a younger, more energetic teacher.’ They tried to tarnish my reputation.”
Sevda also spoke about the subtle ageism she faced among younger colleagues:
"You work with younger people, and they start to call you ‘old’ behind your back. They can’t say it to your face because I’m senior to them, but they imply it. They act like there’s an age gap, as if I’m too slow or not keeping up. They hint that a younger team would be better.”
Key findings
The report outlines several critical issues impacting women over 50 in the workforce:
Age and Gender Discrimination: Women over 50 face compounded discrimination based on both their gender and age. Employers often perceive them as less productive and prefer younger workers, especially men, for the same positions.
Wage Inequality: These women are often paid less than their male counterparts in the same roles. As they age, their working conditions worsen, and they are forced to accept lower wages.
Insecure Employment: Many women over 50 are employed without social security or insurance benefits. Employers frequently find excuses to avoid providing insurance, making it harder for these women to secure their retirement benefits.
Harassment and Mobbing: Older women in the workforce are frequently subjected to workplace harassment and mobbing, both from employers and colleagues, further complicating their professional lives.
Burden of Care Work: The report also highlights how the responsibility of unpaid care work at home negatively affects these women’s participation in formal employment, often limiting them to insecure and part-time jobs.
Poverty in Retirement: Many women are either unable to retire due to insufficient contributions to the social security system or forced to survive on meager pensions. Even those who do retire often have to continue working to make ends meet.
Limited Employment Opportunities: Women over 50 are often confined to a narrow range of job opportunities that align with traditional gender roles, restricting their access to a broader spectrum of professions.
Health Challenges: Older women in the workforce face increasing health issues but often struggle to access adequate healthcare, particularly in underfunded public hospitals.
Unfair Workload: Women are frequently given additional tasks without corresponding pay increases, and despite carrying heavier workloads than their male colleagues, they receive lower wages.
Lack of Social Security: A significant number of these women have worked without insurance at some point in their lives, leaving them more vulnerable to economic instability in their later years.
Proposals for Change
The report calls for a range of policy changes to address these challenges, including stricter enforcement of labor laws, improved access to social security and healthcare, and initiatives to combat both gender and age discrimination in the workplace. It also emphasizes the need for greater public awareness around the issue to ensure women over 50 are treated with dignity and equality in the labor market.
As Sare Öztürk from Kadın İşçi stated during the presentation:
"Women over 50 are a valuable part of the workforce. Ignoring their contributions and subjecting them to discrimination based on age and gender does a disservice not only to these women but to society as a whole."
The findings of this report highlight a pressing issue that requires immediate attention to protect the rights and livelihoods of older women in Turkey’s labor market. (EMK/ADÇ/VK)