ABTTF mentioned the problems of the Western Thrace Turkish women in the 20th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

ABTTF: Turkish women of Western Thrace face a lot of difficulties in economic and political life

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) submitted a written statement ‘The prob-lem of effective and full participation of women belonging to Turkish minority of Western Thrace in economic and political life of Greece’ to the 20th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. In its written statement, ABTTF expressed the challenges of women belonging to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace in their participation of economic and political life of the country.

Macedonia-Thrace is most affected by economic crisis, therefore the Turks went abroad for work

ABTTF noted that the highest unemployment rate in Greece was recorded in the Macedonia- Thra-ce and added that in the period of deep economic crisis, economic conditions of the persons, including women belonging to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace have deteriorated.

In Western Thrace Turks Women’s Assembly which took place on 18-19 May 2012 in Greece, ABTTF explained that women belonging to the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace discussed that deep economic crisis led most of young Turks to go abroad for work, which in turn the division of families resulted as an additional burden on women.

Turkish women asked for a 50% women quota in local governments

In its written statement, ABTTF also expressed the problems of the Turkish women in their partici-pation of the political life of the country. Since there is a quota of at least 1/3 participation of each gender in electoral lists for local elections, ABTTF explained that there is only a small number of minority women who actively participate in the elected bodies at the local level.

ABTTF further noted that since there is a 3% electoral threshold which is applied to independent candidates at national level, the members of the Turkish Minority of Western Thrace have to run candidates with majority parties. ABTTF argued that the electoral threshold hinders the participation of minority women in the political life of the country.

In its written statement, ABTTF noted that in the Western Thrace Turks Women’s Assembly, the Turkish minority women asked for more participation in economic and political life. And ABTTF added that the minority women called the Greek authorities to establish a 50% women quota in lo-cal governments and abolish 3% electoral threshold for independent candidates in the national parliament.


The full text of the written statement submitted by ABTTF to the 20th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council is available at:
http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G12/139/47/PDF/G1213947.pdf?OpenElement