Our Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, stated that women's labor force participation rates and women's employment rates have increased, and said, "We are working to ensure that women do not have to choose between work and home life." aforementioned.

Minister Göktaş expressed his pleasure to be in Gaziantep at the opening of the Türkiye Cooperatives Fair, which he attended together with the Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat.

Stating that women's entrepreneurship is one of the driving forces of economic and social progress, Göktaş said, "We attach great importance to activities that will strengthen the roles of women in economic and social life, develop their creativity and create space for women entrepreneurs. Platforms: Places where innovative ideas and collaborations flourish are critical for entrepreneurship to achieve sustainable growth." ." "We think it's important," he said.

Stating that, as the Ministry, they are planning social policies that will strengthen the structure of the individual and the family, Göktaş continued as follows:

"From this perspective, we carry out our services with a vision that aims to increase social welfare with programs that support family relations and contribute to the psychological and social development of children and young people. We continue to produce social policies in line with our goal. We aim to increase social welfare in our 12th Development Plan. "Qualified people, strong families There is a "healthy society". Strengthening the social status of women has an important role in achieving this goal. In order to encourage women's participation in the workforce, we offer opportunities to women through activities and supports that will serve this vision, such as vocational training programs and entrepreneurship supports. Under the leadership of our President, "Türkiye made significant progress in women's employment during the AK Party government."

"We increased the female employment rate to 33 percent"

Stating that women's labor force participation rates have increased, Göktaş said, "The labor force participation rate of women, which was 27.9 percent in 2002, increased to 30.2 percent in October 2023. In the same period, the female employment rate increased from 25 percent to 20 percent. .33 percent.” "We are working to prevent women from having to choose between work and home life with regulations such as flexible working hours, maternity and breastfeeding leaves, and access to child care services." aforementioned.

"We established 1010 new women's cooperatives"

Minister Göktaş reminded that they extended the "Cooperation Protocol on the Strengthening of Women's Cooperatives" for another 5 years with the protocol signed between the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on September 6, 2023, and continued as follows:

"Within the scope of this protocol, we organized 894 workshops and information meetings locally through the Women's Cooperatives Working Groups. We reached approximately 45 thousand people and established 1010 new women's cooperatives. We trained a total of 3 thousand 844 people on these issues. We achieved this in terms of product development, food safety and product storytelling. More than 8 thousand people have benefited from all these activities so far. We adopt a comprehensive approach to strengthen women's cooperatives in sales and marketing. For this purpose, we organized Marketing Network Development. Meetings in 10 provinces with representatives of the private sector, e-commerce platforms and local government. "We attach importance to Cooperatives Fairs to make them more visible and preferred, to create new customers and business partnerships, and to increase public awareness." "I would like to thank those who contributed to the realization of the Yürkiye Cooperatives Fair, which is organized to increase the capacity of women's cooperatives in our country and to develop trade through cooperatives."

Minister Göktaş and Bolat gave plaques to 10 successful cooperative presidents. After the opening of the fair, ministers and their entourage, Gaziantep Governor Kemal Çeber, Metropolitan Mayor Fatma Şahin and other participants visited the stands.

“We get our strength from our family”

Following the program here, Minister Göktaş attended the opening of the "Family Academy", which was implemented under the leadership of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and in cooperation with public and private sector representatives, universities and non-governmental organizations.

At the opening, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş wished mercy to the soldiers who were martyred in the attacks carried out by the terrorist organization in the north of Iraq and wished healing to the wounded.

Drawing attention to the importance of family, Göktaş said, "Family is one of the most valuable treasures that a person can have in life. Family is the bridge between the past and the future, the child and the parents, the individual and the society. We draw our strength from the family. The social, cultural and Describing the profound change in all areas of life, especially economic areas, Göktaş stated that the family's choice was also affected by this change and transformation.

“I invite our media, especially, to be more sensitive against content that will shake our family structure and social values.”

Göktaş stated that, as the ministry, on the one hand, they continue to make families more prepared for these developments, and on the other hand, they are working to make families more resilient and hidden against the risks that these changes will pose. "I would like to make a call. In this age where bad, ugly and wrong spread rapidly, good "I invite our media to be more sensitive, especially against content that is true and beautiful and will shake our family structure and social values." said.

Stating that societies in which the family is not of great importance cannot look to the future no matter how economically prosperous they are, Göktaş said, "Family structure is an institution that has no alternative in terms of values and ranges. At this point, the journey to families will continue, providing them with the necessary support and improving family dynamics." "I find the existence of the Family Academy, which will strengthen the family, very valuable," he said.

Emphasizing that they will always continue to act with family priority, Minister Göktaş continued his words as follows:

"As the Ministry, we carried out a series of activities in the 'family' center in 2023 with the understanding of protecting the family and protecting family values. We know that cooperation with civil society, universities and all other social races takes place in our work. We carry out all our activities with the slogan 'Our Family, Our Future in the Türkiye Century', Mr. "We have literally crowned our family council, which we held for the eighth time under the auspices of our President. We will soon announce the decisions taken at the council and the 'Family Strengthening Vision Document and Action Plan' that we have prepared in the region."

Stating that the families of the "Türkiye Century" have expanded for centuries, Göktaş said that they established the Family and Youth Fund to protect their families and young people from risks and to support their development.

Minister Göktaş stated that the groups aimed at increasing the number of Family Institutes continue in order to base family economic and social policies on solid foundations and said:

"We continue to work with great effort to separate the family and pass on family values to the next generations as a legacy. We want to give the good news here. I hope we will work to spread the same model in our other provinces, especially in Istanbul. It is an exemplary project. Bringing stakeholders together "The work carried out for care and togetherness, family protection and healing is really valuable. Some things do not need to be produced from scratch. There is a successful model here. I hope we do not try to spread this in other provinces."