ADANA - HDP Women's Council listened the problems of seasonal agricultural workers in Adana, which they visited within the scope of "No to Women's Poverty" meetings. Agricultural worker women said: “Our living and working conditions are difficult. We do not receive a recompense for our work.”

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Women's Council continues to meet with women as part of the “No to Women's Poverty” meetings. HDP Women's Council Spokesperson Ayşe Acar Başaran, MPs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Fatma Kurtulan, HDP Adana Provincial Co-chair Gülseren Tural, Karataş District Co-chair Suzan Yıldım and many women attended the meeting, which took place with seasonal agricultural workers working in the pepper field in Adana's Karataş district.

 

‘We do not receive a recompense for our work’

 

Explaining their problems at the meeting, the women stated that they worked in difficult conditions and said: ‘’We get up at 05.00 am in the morning and work until the evening. We collect peppers for hours under the hot sun. We transport the peppers we collect in crates. Working in the heat of Adana is difficult. Our fee is 85 liras. When we meet the water, electricity fee of the tents we stay with this fee and our own compulsory needs, there is nothing left in our hands. With 85 liras, it is more impossible than difficult to live in this economic difficulty. We do not receive a recompense for our work.”

 

‘Tents are not suitable for living’

 

Stating that the tents they stayed in were not suitable for life, the women said: “It is very difficult to stay in tents in this heat. The hot and humid weather makes it impossible for us to breathe in the tent. There are those with and without air conditioning. Not to mention that it is far from hygiene. No washing machine, no dishwasher. The cleaning of the entire population is done by hand.”

 

‘Women have too much workload’

 

Mentioning the difficulties they experienced, the women said: “It is very difficult to be a female worker. The most obvious challenge is having to work both in the field and at home. As if working in the field is not enough, we have to do the works such as cleaning the tent, cooking and dishes. The workload on women is high everywhere. We cannot just work in the fields like men. Our work is always more tiring.”

 

The delegation stated that women's labor was ignored by the government due to the increasing gender inequality and emphasized that they would voice their problems in the whole area and be a solution.

The delegation then ended its visit by picking peppers with the women.

 

The next address of the delegation will be women workers in Şakirpaşa and Dağlıoğlu Neighborhoods of Seyhan district.