BAGIS DISTRIBUTES FLOWERS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Participating in the conference titled “Equal Pay for Equal Work” which was held in the European Parliament on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis attracted great attention. 

Greeting the women participants he encountered and later giving flowers to them, Bagis went into the General Assembly meeting room and was applauded enthusiastically by the European members of the Parliament.

In his speech, Bagis said: 58% of the staff and 65% of the directors in the Ministry for EU Affairs are women. That’s why; we do not lose patience despite the difficulties we have faced in the negotiations with the EU.

Egemen Bagis stated that about eight million women had been employed in Turkey by the end of 2011 and female labor force participation rate had increased to 28%, while it was 23% eight years ago. He emphasized that they wished to increase the female labor force participation rate to 35% in 2023, which is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Turkish Republic.

Indicating that although the problems faced by the women differed relatively from one country to another, they were basically the same, Bagis said: “No tradition, custom or mentality can justify the violence against someone. If she is a woman exposed to violence, the situation gets more serious. Women may be exposed to violence in all societies including the countries with well- functioning democracies in the EU. Therefore, we must try to find solutions to these problems together and must not accuse a particular religion, civilization, country or a nation alone because of the problems of women.