Özgür Özel: 'We will establish a Ministry of Women and Equality'

CHP Deputy Chairman Aylin Nazlıaka organized the "Be Aware, Don't Be a Barrier! Barrier-Free Tomorrows Meeting" in Ankara tomorrow, with the participation of Chairman Özgür Özel.

Speaking at the event, CHP leader Özgür Özel stated that when they come to power, there will be a single minister who will deal with the problems of the disabled, adding, "That minister will themselves be a disabled individual. We promise. Someone who has experienced these difficulties themselves will explain the problems of the disabled in the cabinet. They will fight tooth and nail to secure the budget. Our Ministry for the Disabled will definitely solve the problems by removing the barriers in front of the disabled and ensuring barrier-free tomorrows."

Calling on all political parties and Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, Özel said, "Let the first step of the normalization process be taking the legal steps together in Parliament to solve these accumulated problems of the disabled. May the winners be all disabled individuals, their families, and their struggles."

Here are the highlights from Özel's speech:

Today, this program was organized jointly by our Ankara Provincial Presidency and our Women's Branch Chairwoman. One of the hosts of the day, Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner, who became a mayor at the age of 30, greeted you on behalf of all our mayors.

I would like to express some of our party's solution proposals regarding the problems of the disabled and offer to work together on these critical 5-6 issues with the ruling party, the ruling party's alliance partners, and all opposition parties.

While we do what is necessary in our municipalities, the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) also needs to solve these problems as soon as possible. I have noted the solution proposals, demands, and expectations from the TBMM of dear Engin Konakçı. I have noted and recorded the expressions of Şükriye Hanım, with the warning of her daughter Alev. We will continue to do our best on this issue in Parliament in the coming period.

'WE WILL ESTABLISH A MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND EQUALITY'

The first thing we will do when we are in power is to both split and rename the Ministry of Family and Social Services, which Aylin Hanım represents today as a shadow cabinet minister. There is such a mentality; there are 17 ministers in the cabinet, and one is a woman. And she is responsible for the family. In other words, it says; as a woman, you sit at home, be responsible for your family, look after your disabled, look after your elderly, and do not get involved in life. We will turn the part of this ministry related to women into a Ministry of Women and Equality. Of course, there will be someone at the head of it.

'OUR MINISTRY FOR THE DISABLED WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF THE DISABLED WHEN WE ARE IN POWER'

For the part related to the disabled, under a CHP government, there will be a single minister who will deal with the problems of the disabled. That minister will themselves be a disabled individual. We promise. Someone who has experienced these difficulties themselves will explain the problems of the disabled in the cabinet. They will fight tooth and nail to secure the budget. Our Ministry for the Disabled will definitely solve the problems by removing the barriers in front of the disabled and ensuring barrier-free tomorrows.

The removal of barriers to the participation of the disabled in employment, the filling of quotas reserved for the disabled in the public and private sectors without excuses, and the encouragement of the employment of disabled people working in the public sector according to their education, profession, and skills must be ensured.

'NO CONTRIBUTION FEE SHOULD BE TAKEN FROM PROSTHETICS'

Disability pensions and home care allowances should be recalculated immediately, taking into account the high-inflation environment. As in the current practice, disability pensions and care allowances should not be calculated according to the income per capita in the household, but according to their own income status; mothers and women who undertake the care of the disabled should be insured, and their retirement rights should be secured. All obstacles in front of the disabled to benefit from the right to health should be removed. Examination fees, participation fees, and especially contribution fees for prosthetics and all kinds of auxiliary medical materials should never be taken. If there is a better version of a product, the money for the worse one should not be paid; the money for whichever one the doctor recommends should be paid.

'REHABILITATION SERVICE SHOULD BE AT LEAST 40 HOURS PER WEEK'

The rehabilitation service that our children with special needs receive outside of formal education should be set at at least 40 hours per week. Instead of vague expressions, clear expressions should be put into the law so that the disabled do not experience problems in their admission to educational institutions.

Furthermore; the low amounts defined for service fees and teacher fees within private education institutions reduce the quality of the education provided. State support must be provided for the salaries of teachers in private education institutions, their salaries should be increased, compensation rights should be granted, and the best 40-hour weekly education should be provided to the disabled in private education institutions.

Our country's domestic legislation should be developed and regulated according to the final observation report of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and relevant institutions and organizations should be audited regularly.

'NGOS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS'

In addition, a law on combating discrimination, which defines types of discrimination against certain expressions, words, and unfair treatment that sadden and hurt us all, must be passed by Parliament without wasting time. NGOs working on and for the disabled should be included in the decision-making processes. Rules such as re-negotiation and referral to the commission once more if there is no approval from the NGO when relevant decisions are made must be included in the law.

'NO ONE HAS MORE RIGHTS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT DISABLED'

We say with all our belief that; this life is not a life that the disabled share with the healthy, but a life that the healthy and the disabled, the non-disabled and the disabled, jointly create, manage, and live. No one has more rights than disabled individuals just because they are not disabled. If there is a deficiency in the exercise of this right, all public officials are responsible.

CALL TO POLITICAL PARTIES AND KURTULMUŞ

I am making a call to all political parties here. Let the first step of the normalization process, which emerged after the March 31 elections and which I am a part of and following, be taking the legal steps together in Parliament to solve these accumulated problems of the disabled. May the winners be all disabled individuals, their families, and their struggles. I am calling on Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş here to take steps together to solve these problems in a process that will include all parties. We had 3 in the last term, but this term we have a total of 17 municipalities, including districts and metropolitan cities. CHP municipalities are mayors who know the rights of the disabled and strive for a barrier-free city, barrier-free living spaces, and barrier-free tomorrows.

'WE WILL STRIVE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS UNTIL WE COME TO POWER'

As the CHP, until the day we come to power and fulfill all your demands, we will all strive together to remove the barriers with the strong support we have received in local governments and the public duty we hold.

News Source: 12punto