Our Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, said, “We aim to increase the female workforce participation rate to 40.1 percent and the female employment rate to 36.2 percent by the end of 2028 with the development plan."

In her speech at the "Halkbank Productive Women Competition Award Ceremony", Minister Göktaş said that women, who represent productivity and sensitivity in all areas of life, are the guarantee of a healthy and strong society.

Emphasizing that strengthening the place of women in society and ensuring equality between men and women are their primary duties, Göktaş explained that they have made great strides in the last 22 years for women to play more active role in political, social and economic life.

Stating that they are working to ensure that women do not have to choose between work and home, Göktaş said, "We attach importance to expanding the nursery model to cover the 0-3 age group, as well as nurseries in industries. The reason is that women entrepreneurs affect not only their own lives but also their environment and society with their potential to create employment.

​"We have supported more than 800 thousand women so far"

Göktaş continued her speech as follows:

"Woman's existence in society as a strong individual is only possible with a working life where equality between men and women is ensured. In this context, we continue our work with great determination to promote that women take active involvement in economic life.  Through our financial literacy and women's economic empowerment seminars, we provide opportunities for women to access economic support, incentives, and application mechanisms more easily. We have started these seminars in 2018 and have supported more than 800 thousand women to date."

Göktaş explained that they are carrying out the "Türkiye’s Engineer Girls Project" to support female students who want to become engineers and ensure that they become leaders in their professions. Besides, Göktaş stated that they discussed the current situation of women entrepreneurs, their problems, and solution suggestions for these problems at the “New Horizons in Women Entrepreneurship Consultation Meeting” ​ held on January 18.

"We believe sincerely that the Türkiye Century will be the century of women."

Stating that they aim to increase the female workforce participation rate to 40.1 percent and the female employment rate to 36.2 percent by the end of 2028 with the development plan, Göktaş said:

"As women's words increase and their voices become loudly, the voices of their society also increase and their voices become loudly. Women are the foundation of family and society. Women are teacher in the classroom with a pen in their hands, an engineer with a computer in front of them, a doctor who heals with the prescriptions they write. Women are artists who shape society step by step. There have been pioneer women who shed light and guided us in every period of our history,. From Hayme Ana to Gevher Nesibe Hatun, from poet Nigar Hanım to Fatma Aliye, many women who left their mark on our history with their determination and struggles. No economic, cultural and political movement can be successful without women. As our President stated, we wholeheartedly believe that the Türkiye’s Century will be the century of women. With this strong vision, we support every step they take towards a strong future of a strong Türkiye. As Ministry, we fully believe in the importance of women taking the place they deserve in working life, actively participating in the workforce, and having a say in production."

​After the speeches, Halkbank General Manager Osman Arslan presented a plaque to Göktaş. The Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek, Governor of Istanbul Davut Gül, award-winning women and guests attended the program.