Our Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, stated that the activeness of women entrepreneurs in working life will strengthen their position in society, affect the level of development of societies and contribute to preventing injustice in income distribution.

Göktaş stated at the Women Entrepreneurs Panel at the Swiss School of Business and Management that strong women have a great role in building a strong society.

Stating that societies where women are strong are moving towards a future full of equality, justice and solidarity, Göktaş said, "The empowerment of women is only possible with their equal participation in economic and social life, elimination of violence and abuse, and prevention of all kinds of discrimination. Improving human rights against women and eliminating discrimination." "The main goal of our country, which has signed important structural and legal regulations for women, is strong women, strong families and strong society." she said.

Emphasizing that the most important and effective steps in the change in policies towards women in Türkiye have been taken in the legal field, Göktaş noted that while the principle of equality between men and women was adopted with the regulations in the Constitution, the way was paved for the adaptation of this principle in all plans, policies and legislation.

"We can increase the presence of women in the workforce with alternative solutions"

Göktaş touched upon the importance of increasing women's participation in the labor market and employment and stated that they have taken steps to ensure the active and effective participation of women in decision-making processes.

Minister Göktaş continued as follows:

"While making legal and political arrangements to empower women and increase their participation in the workforce, we have also implemented many important projects and activities. We can increase the presence of women in the workforce and make them stronger in the labor market with alternative solutions such as part-time, flexible working and hybrid working models. Each project And after our program, the labor force participation rate of our women has also increased. While the labor force participation rate of women in the 25-44 age group was 28.6 percent in 2004, this figure has reached 46.6 percent today. Public employment rates have increased for women in areas such as education and health. "It has increased greatly with the provision of more opportunities. Female employment in the public sector, which was 21 percent in 2004, has increased to 36 percent in 2021. Today, I can say that this rate has exceeded 40 percent."

Stating that significant changes have been made in the laws regulating the labor market and working life in order to ensure equality between men and women, to support women's employment, and to harmonize work and family life, Göktaş also stated that they have diversified the educational opportunities for young people and women.

"Women" title in the 12th Development Plan

Stating that in the section on women of the 12th Development Plan, it is aimed for women to benefit equally from opportunities and opportunities in all areas of life, especially education and employment, Göktaş said, "Ensuring that women live free from all kinds of violence and discrimination, ensuring their representation and support in all areas and levels." "Increasing their participation was determined as the main goal." he said.

Stating that they plan to expand the scope of programs in areas such as entrepreneurship, financial literacy and cooperatives in order to increase women's participation in the workforce, Göktaş said that the more active participation of women in working life and the improvement of the labor market, determined in the Women's Empowerment Strategy Document and Action Plan covering 2018-2023. He stated that they achieved their goal of ensuring that they have a say in economic life in line with the changing dynamics.

Minister Göktaş stated that one of the most effective fields that women have is entrepreneurship and said:

"Women entrepreneurs being active in working life strengthens their position in society, affects the development level of societies and contributes to preventing injustice in income distribution. According to TÜİK data, the rate of women among total employers and self-employed workers in our country is 16.6 percent according to the third quarter figures of 2023. We work to increase this rate and produce solutions to the problems faced by women entrepreneurs. We eliminate the problems of our women entrepreneurs, such as finding financial resources, lack of capital, and the complexity of bureaucratic processes, by offering different solution alternatives. Women will overcome every difficulty as long as they have access to opportunities. The biggest proof of this is "We are also strong business women. Every effort, diligence and dedication taken in this regard is important to me. I wholeheartedly support every step taken."