EŞİK reacts to Ministry of National Education's daycare move: 'The 5 children in İzmir could have survived'

The Equality for Women Platform (EŞİK) has reacted to the directive issued by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) regarding the closure of daycares opened by municipalities. In a statement made by Hülya Gülbahar on behalf of EŞİK, it was stated, "We all watched together as 5 children in İzmir burned to death because there was no daycare for a woman who had to go out to work to leave her children. If there had been free daycares accessible to her, these children could have survived."

The written statement continued, "Every obstacle placed in front of municipalities implementing egalitarian social policies is an obstacle placed in front of all women from every social segment. We call on the government: First, inspect the education in dormitories and Quran courses abandoned to religious sects, and prevent violence and sexual abuse. Daycare is a right, do not touch it."

Evaluating the issue, Hülya Gülbahar from EŞİK also recalled that in a 2010 meeting with women's organizations, then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "I do not believe in gender equality anyway," and noted that he not only said these words but also demonstrated his opposition to daycares, which are among the public and institutional tools for ensuring equality.

Noting that Erdoğan also paved the way for the elimination of public institutions such as daycares, which would enable women's participation in all areas of life, as well as care for the sick, elderly, and disabled, with his words "Those who sow daycares will reap nursing homes," Gülbahar stated that following these, the public stopped opening new daycares under the name of 'austerity,' and existing daycares were either closed or lost their functionality.