Calculations changing in the ruling party's base: Bad news for the AKP in a study on housewives

A study conducted by the Institute for Social Studies on housewives has revealed that economic conditions have created a significant fracture among a voter group that previously supported the AKP. According to the research, the cost of living, inflation, and increases in rent and food prices were among the prominent topics in the participants' evaluations of the party.

According to the report in Nefes, the study states that housewives make up 28 percent of the electorate. According to the institute's assessment, the support coming solely from housewives corresponds to approximately 14 percent of the vote nationwide for the AKP. Therefore, the dissatisfaction within this group is seen as noteworthy regarding the direction of political preferences.

It was noted that the women participating in the study had voted for the AKP in at least one previous election. Participants explained that their previous choices were influenced by the lifting of the headscarf ban, religious and cultural freedoms, perceptions of security and stability, as well as health, infrastructure, and public services.

In the reasons for distancing themselves from the party, issues such as justice, merit, and perceived unfulfilled promises stood out as much as economic hardship. Participants stated that the increase in daily living costs, in particular, has increased the pressure on the family budget.

The visibility of domestic labor was also included as a separate heading in the report. All the women who participated in the interviews defined housework as "work" in their own words, and it was emphasized that the lack of wages, insurance, retirement, leave, and overtime limits makes this labor invisible.

Expectations from the state were gathered under three main headings in the study: institutional rights such as insurance and retirement, economic autonomy, and public recognition. It was stated that these demands reflect the housewives' search for both economic security and social visibility.

News Source: 12punto