Profit system based on women's labour is killing
The industrial accident in Dilovası, which resulted in the deaths of seven people, including three children, has once again exposed the exploitative system based on women's labour. Acar, one of the lawyers in the workplace murder case, says, ‘Employers turn necessity into an opportunity for exploitation and oppression.’
In informal workplaces where women are heavily employed, insecurity, low wages and long working hours have become a systematic system of exploitation.
The killing of seven people, including three girls, in Dilovası, Kocaeli, on 8 November 2025, once again exposed the exploitation of women's labour. No measures were taken to protect the lives of women working for low wages in an illegal and deadly factory.
Three of those who died in the factory were adult women.
The system of enrichment built by employers on women's labour, combined with lack of oversight and insecurity, creates a deadly chain of exploitation. Women who cannot find a place for themselves in factories, who cannot gain seniority even after years of work, and who are paid the lowest wages, are the first to be dismissed by employers.
In the neighbourhood where Ravive Cosmetics, the site of the industrial homicide in Dilovası, is located, women worked in such factories for reasons such as proximity to home, socialising, and earning an income. The options for women were clear; locals said, ‘It's like this everywhere,’ explaining that they had no other options.
AN ENEMY TO THE LIVES OF GIRLS
Nimet Acar, President of the Istanbul Bar Association's Labour and Social Security Law Centre and one of the lawyers in the Dilovası industrial accident case, assessed the exploitation of women labour and industrial accidents.
Lawyer Acar said that they objected to the decision to hold the trial for the Dilovası industrial accident case in the courtroom of the Kocaeli Penal Institution, fearing that the case would be taken away from the parties.
Acar described the situation in Dilovası as follows: "There are many different workplaces similar to this factory in the region. The women we spoke to said they worked in these unregistered places within walking distance of their homes. It is a poor neighbourhood and therefore concerns about making a living prevail. The bosses also put pressure on women and girls, exploiting their labour, saying, “There are many who are willing to do this job”. At this workplace, women and girls worked up to 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, and only earned 15-16 thousand lira. The boss's constant arbitrary deductions from wages combined with insecurity. This was a workplace with very low earnings due to unregistered work, lack of insurance, and arbitrary deductions, with no meal breaks or tea breaks".
Emphasising that threats such as ‘If you don't like it, someone else will do the job’ were very common in the region, Lawyer Acar said, ‘A system of exploitation has been established here that everyone knows and accepts, saying “That's just how it is there”. Women were here for the small amount of money they could earn.’
Drawing attention to the way gender inequality directs women's work patterns, Acar said, "For some women, these jobs are an opportunity to go out and socialise; for others, the small amount they earn allows them to meet their own needs. They are close to home and easily accessible on foot. When such places thrive on this, the door to exploitation is opened. If better job opportunities were created, women could choose these places too, but all the options are similar."
Acar, who said that exploitation is similar from Polonez to Temel Conta, from textile factories to giant companies boasting about ‘women's employment’, made the following appeal to the public: “Employers are turning women's necessities into opportunities for rights violations and exploitation. Women who have worked in the same places for years are employed at the lowest wages, unable to advance despite their seniority. This is definitely not a contribution to employment; it is blatant exploitation. Just like MESEMs, employers in these workplaces also base their system on cheap labour and high profits. Workers killed in workplace accidents, especially women and children workers, cannot be ignored when discussing this issue. NGOs and political parties must take urgent action against these places that are dismissed as “that's just how it is”. Places where labour exploitation leads to death, especially in industrial towns, must be targeted and exposed. Emphasis must be placed on taking precautions before massacres occur. All institutions must take action on this issue."
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A MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY FROM THE WOMEN IN RESISTANCE!
Temel Conta worker Sinem Kaya:
We have been resisting for 454 days for our labour, our dignity and our future. This resistance is not only that of Temel Conta workers; it is the struggle of all women whose labour is disregarded, who are condemned to low wages, whose voices are silenced. Today, our call is to all women: Stand with labour, justice and a humane life. Give voice to the resistance of Temel Conta workers, let's grow solidarity together!
Buse Kaya, Şık Makas worker:
Happy 8 March to all women who sustain life with their labour and pave the way with their resistance. The strength, courage and solidarity of women in the Şık Makas resistance show us the way. We will continue to fight and stand shoulder to shoulder until we get our rights. Long live women's labour, long live solidarity!
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Kadın emeğiyle kâr düzeni öldürüyor, published in BirGün newspaper on March 8, 2026.
