Women in STEM in Turkey, interview with Berivan Koç, Software Engineer
Interview by Deniz Erdoğan, Turkish Correspondent
From Hypatia to Marie Curie, and from Sophie Germain to Lise Meitner, these and many others whose name I have not yet mentioned, are the scientists that played a very important role in shaping modern technology today. Even though women are actively involved in business life today, they still have to deal with a lot of difficulties. In this process, they actually try different ways to find a role model and regain their motivation.
Ever since people started asking questions about the world, men and women looked at stars, under stones, and microscopes for answers. Although everyone was equally hungry for information, women were not given enough opportunities to find answers.
In the past, restrictions on women’s access to education were common. Women were generally prohibited from publishing scientific articles. Growing up, they were only expected to be good wives and mothers, and their husbands to support the house. Isn’t that the same today? We can see that this is still happening. The woman does not work, she gives birth, she cleans and cooks, and she has no other function.
When more women started entering higher education institutions, other problems arose. Women were generally not given a place to work. No financial resources were provided and they were treated as invisible. Physicist Lise Meitner, who was not allowed into the university building just because she was a woman, conducted her radio chemistry experiments in a secluded basement. Marie Curie, without a laboratory, dealt with dangerous radioactive elements inside a tiny dusty hut. Although Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin made one of her most important discoveries in astronomy, she had to work solely as a technical assistant for decades. The most important tools in the hands of those women were creativity, strength to resist, and love to explore.
Marie Curie’s name is now known to everyone, but throughout history, many important women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics have achieved many successes. Most of them did not see the value they deserved in their lifetime and were forgotten. However, today we, the women are very determined to spread our voices and our success to the world. If we stand united there are no difficulties that we cannot overcome, as long as we support each other.
We met with Berivan Koç, a young Software Engineer from Turkey, and we want to share her story and her advice to all young female engineers.
Berivan completed her education as a software engineer in Turkey and she is currently studying public finance.
“Turkey is a really difficult place for new graduates – said Berivan. It turned into a nightmare. I had to look for a job for almost a year. I had the opportunity to work in many different places. Some of these were big companies. Some were also local companies. I have been in England (London), Lithuania (Kaunas), Ankara, Istanbul, Gaziantep and I currently live in Hatay. I have now moved from the private sector to the public sector. One of the reasons for this was that the private sector enslaved people more.
Many companies hire outsourced employees in Turkey. This means you do not have union rights in a private company. You do not influence the employer’s working conditions.On top of this the wages are lower, the working hours longer and the health benefits insufficient. I love living life freely and meeting with people. My travels taught me a lot. As a woman, I know much better what it means to be strong and have a say. And I’m transferring these experiences to support all my other female friends”.
What does it mean for you to be a woman in STEM? What are the achievements so far?
It is very difficult to be a woman in the Middle East (I mean the freedom to live). It is difficult to rise as a woman in the field of engineering. Administrative priorities generally proceed under male domination. One of the best examples of these achievements is Aslı Erdoğan, who faced many difficulties both as a scientist and a writer and is currently living in exile. I would like to say this to my young engineer female friends; It’s a great feeling to be successful. Because it’s not just your feeling. It also sets an example for other women.
Do you think that science is dominated by men?
In the Middle East countries like Turkey, due to the predominance of men, women have been pushed to the background and also they are subordinated. I feel this more in my working life, and also face the cliche’ that science is the product of the men according to some positivist and deterministic theories. I also think it’s a systematic problem which is a long-standing perception and has to be changed.
Do you enjoy equality of rights in your job? As a woman, do you have the same opportunities as same as your male colleagues? Or are there any inequalities?
I don’t think that the standards are equal. Male candidates are more preferred in recruitment processes. I think that the one reason why women candidates are not preferred is that responsibilities such as marriage and children are completely attributed to women. I also experienced this during my job interviews.
What is your proposal to young women who works or wants to pursue a career in STEM? What can be the encouragement for them from your point of view?
The culture imposed on women by society has to change with labor and the powerful struggle of the woman.
I believe we have to work together on this. I find Wempower important in this sense and I think we are stronger together. It doesn’t matter where you live, where you come from, what your job is. The important thing is that we are not alone, so we must work together, we must know each other’s situation. And we must work together to create a world of equality and freedom. Because we know that a person can change everything regardless of its gender.
