Policy on discrimination in the workplace

ITU has directives and policies on ending discrimination in the workplace (including discrimination based on religion, sexuality, gender, age).

Equality for Diverse Groups

The rights of underrepresented groups in ITU are protected with the law stating that “The following acts warrant suspension of advancement or a penalty involving deduction from one or more salaries: … In the performance of duties, discriminating on the basis of language, race, color, gender, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion, or sect; acting contrary to the requirements of the duty; engaging in behavior that targets the benefit or detriment of individuals.”

https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.2547.pdf

The rights of students and staff are protected with “Directive On Preventing Sexual Harassment And Gender Discrimination With Its Functioning Methods And Principles” by the University. The policy outlines the intolerance of ITU towards sexual harassment and gender. ITU is fully committed to its policy of not discriminating against its employees based on religion, gender, and age. All staff and students of ITU are subject to laws and regulations in addition to its own directive when it comes to workplace discrimination. According to the Directive the definitions include:

Harassment on the basis of sexual orientation: any act discriminating against a person or

violating their human rights on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Retaliation: Making disparaging remarks about a person or complicating a person’s work or education life in an implicit or explicit fashion for purposes of revenge because the person has turned down an act or proposal of sexual or romantic nature, or because the person believes that she/he has been sexually harassed or assaulted and wants to proceed or has already proceeded with complaint processes.

Non-Discrimination against age

ITU employs staff from all age groups. The table below shows the balanced percentages of age groups of academicians in ITU in 2024.

Non-Discrimination for Mothers and Fathers

“Female employees are granted a total of sixteen weeks of maternity leave, consisting of eight weeks before childbirth and eight weeks after childbirth. In the case of multiple pregnancies, two weeks are added to the eight weeks of maternity leave before childbirth. However, a female employee who can prove with a doctor's report that her health condition is suitable for work up to eight weeks before the expected date of birth may, if she wishes, work at her institution for up to three weeks before childbirth. In this case, the actual period worked before the birth based on this report is added to the postnatal maternity leave period. If the birth occurs early, the unused portion of the prenatal maternity leave is also added to the postnatal maternity leave period. In cases where the birth occurs before the date on which the pre-birth maternity leave should begin, the period between the date of birth and the date on which the maternity leave should begin is added to the post-birth maternity leave. In the event of the mother's death during or after the use of maternity leave, the father, if he is a civil servant, is granted leave for the same period as that provided for the mother, upon request.

Paternity Leave to be granted to the father: In the event of the mother's death while maternity leave is being used during or after childbirth, the father, if he is a civil servant, will be granted leave for the same period as that provided for the mother, upon request.

●      Leave entitlements granted for adoption purposes shall be granted to:

●      Civil servants who adopt a child under the age of three together with their spouse,

●      Single or married civil servants who adopt a child under the age of three individually,

●      Public servants whose non-public servant spouse adopts a child under the age of three individually shall be entitled to these rights.

b) No distinction shall be made between female and male public servants in the exercise of leave rights due to adoption.”

https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2016/04/20160413-10.htm

Recruitment From Underrepresented groups

ITU as a body takes necessary actions related to human resources needs, selection, job placement, education, career, performance management, motivation, management of individual and collective labor relations, occupational health and safety, and management of dismissals and its applications. ITU Personnel Department declares that these actions apply to all members including underrepresented groups.

“In this context, ensuring social progress; combating social exclusion and preventing discrimination; We pay attention to the dissemination of social justice. We attach importance to the principles of equality in all activities/education programs organized by our university. Regardless of gender, affiliation, disability or social status, these differences do not constitute an obstacle in recruitment.”

Non-Discrimination During Recruitment

ITU recruits considering diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights on campus as stated in our directives:

Gender Equality Officers, Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination Prevention Board;

“At least two of the permanent Board members are selected from academic staff specializing in gender studies, well-informed of and sensitive to issues related to gender equality, or actively engaged in such issues.”

Disabled Students Officers;

“ITU Disabled Student Unit, which continues its activities within the framework of the regulatory provisions of the Council of Higher Education in force, especially the Turkish Law on the Disabled No. 5378, aims to prevent our students' ability differences from causing a disadvantage in their education life and to contribute to being a more accessible University with inclusiveness studies on the axis of current standards.”

International Students/Staff;

“The Office of International Affairs enables qualified international students and academics to engage in education and research activities.”

ITU Humanities and Social Sciences Department Advising on Human Rights;

“The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences consists of three departments: History of Science and Technology, Science, Technology and Society and Political Studies. It provides postgraduate education with 3 Master's Programs and 2 Doctorate Programs.”

I.T.U. Women Studies Center in Science Engineering;

“The idea of establishing a center within ITU to best leverage the potential in the field of gender studies led to the creation of our center, which was established by the decision of the YÖK Executive Board dated November 4, 2009, and numbered 5510.

BMT-KAUM (I.T.U. Women Studies Center in Science Engineering) aims to conduct research and studies to ensure equal opportunities for women and men in science, engineering, technology and arts, to increase social awareness on this issue, to monitor relevant practices, to develop databases and indicators, to increase the visibility of the field of women's studies and women's contribution to social/academic life, and to provide continuous and up-to-date publications/documents that will enable the creation of an information center on the subject at the university. The establishment of the center is also important in terms of making comprehensive arrangements that have yet to adopt gender sensitivity in the undergraduate/graduate programs implemented at our university, where the presence of female students and academics is gradually increasing. Therefore, the activities of the center aim to provide academic support to complement and enrich the programs and research implemented in the departments from a gender perspective.”

KAUM Directive

Equality Plan

Human Resources Department (HRD) at ITU works in line with the University's vision and mission of the plan, policy, method related to issues such as determining the necessary human resources needs, selection, job placement, education, career and performance management, motivation, management of individual and collective labor relations, occupational health and safety, and management of dismissals. In this context, HDR has determined to ensure social progress; combat social exclusion and gender bias, and prevent discrimination in any form. ITU pays attention to the dissemination of social justice and the importance of the principles of equality in all activities/ education programs organized by our university. Regardless of gender, affiliation, disability, or social status, these differences do not constitute an obstacle in recruitment.

The academic recruitment is done according to rules set out in the Higher Education Law (No.2547), Regulation on Promotion and Appointment to Faculty Members and Regulation on the Procedures and Principles to be Applied in Recruiting Workers for Public Institutions and Organizations. None of those regulations has included gender-sensitive recruitment and selection processes and career progressions support for the underrepresented gender. While there are articles to prevent bias in citizens in the Turkish Constitution and recruitment in the Turkish Labour Law, at ITU there are no gender-sensitive recruitment protocols or any policies to prevent gender bias either academic or administrative level recruitment.

In the Turkish Human Rights and Equality Institution Law No. 6701, There are also regulations regarding the prohibition of discrimination. Gender equality is valued as a necessary and important principle among all members during recruitment processes at Istanbul Technical University. As a public university, the recruitment and selection processes are under general regulations and there is not any unconscious or implicit gender bias to interfere in the decision-making during recruitment and selection processes. In addition, there is a systematically segregated data collection custom that existed in ITU. At the current state, there is not any significant difference between faculties and within faculties in the distribution of female and male academics.

https://kaum.itu.edu.tr/en/about-us/gender-equality-plan