MALATYA - HDP Women’s Council Spokesperson Ayşe Acar Başaran met with women working in tobacco fields in Malatya as part of the ‘’No to Women’s Poverty’’ meetings. Women drew attention to the fact that they could not make a live due to the government’s policies.

 

Within the scope of the ‘’Justice for Women’’ campaign initiated under the leading of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Women’s Council, the ‘’No to Women’s Poverty’’ meetings continue in Malatya. HDP Women’s Council Spokesperson Ayşe Acar Başaran, Party Spokesperson Ebru Günay, MP Semra Güzel, Vice Co-chair Şaziye Köse who is responsible from Labor Commission, Members of the Women’s Council, HDP Malatya Provincial Co-chair Perihan Yücekaya and the former Co-spokesperson of the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) İdil Uğurlu came together with women working in tobacco fields in Malatya’s Doğanşehir district and living in Topraktepe village.

 

Tobacco workers visited by the delegation criticized the government’s tax additions on tobacco and said that they could not make a live with what they earned.

 

‘We are barely make a living’

 

Tobacco worker Fatma Aydın said that they worked from March to September. Fatma stated: ‘’We work from 5:00 in the morning to 11:00 in the evening. No one gets paid for their labor. We are barely make a living. It is very difficult to make tobacco. If a person has a solution, not do it. But we are helpless. I have three children. The government is trying to take that away from us. They don't even leave it to us. We have to sell tobacco very cheap.’’

 

‘They reject everything about tobacco’

 

‘’Of course, women suffer more,’’ tobacco worker said and continued that unsold products remained. Tobacco worker said the following statements: ‘’We are from Adıyaman. We have been here for 20 years. We do not want the tobacco to remain unsold. It is not clear whether we will sell this tobacco. If the state establishes a cooperative, we can sell our tobacco very easily, but there is no such thing. Tobacco is privatized. They come and look at our tobacco if they want to buy it they buy, if they don't they don't. You, as HDP, are making it the agenda, but they are in the majority and they reject everything about tobacco.’’

 

HDP MP Ayşe Acar Başaran, who listened to women, noted that they met with women within the scope of the program, listened to their problems and made a report. Underlining that whatever the problem is, they are trying to solve it as HDP, Ayşe reiterated that they stand by the whole society, especially women.

The delegation’s visits continue.

 

The next program of the women will continue in the form of visiting the apricot worker women in the Çığlık and Küreçik Neighborhoods and meeting with the women in the Narmikan Neighborhood.