Minister Göktaş: “We are continuing our fight against violence towards women with the principle of zero tolerance against violence.”

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, in her speech at the World Women’s Forum held in Mongolia, stated, “We are continuing our fight against violence against women, which is one of the common problems of the entire world, with the principle of zero tolerance against violence.”

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Göktaş attended the World Women’s Forum organized in the capital Ulaanbaatar in cooperation with the United Nations under the patronage of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. Upon her arrival at the Presidential Palace, she was welcomed by President Khurelsukh and Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battasetseg, after which Göktaş proceeded to the hall where the forum was held. Following the opening speeches delivered by Mongolian President Khurelsukh, Foreign Minister Battasetseg, and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, Minister Göktaş spoke during the general session. She pointed out that the first quarter of the 21st century has witnessed profound changes in the world and emphasized the importance of shaping future strategies accordingly to understand the era and keep pace with its speed. Göktaş noted that climate change and digitalization are among the prominent issues of the age, stating, “As policymakers, we bear great responsibility in identifying these current issues without delay and finding effective solutions to the problems.” She expressed that Turkey attaches great importance to both issues and that, as with all global changes, this situation also affects women.

“We believe that women’s entrepreneurship is one of the key elements defining this century”

Göktaş emphasized that they are resolutely pursuing policies that will empower women in economic, political, and social spheres, stating, “Within the scope of our 12th Development Plan, we are working on increasing and diversifying employment opportunities for women. We believe that women’s entrepreneurship is one of the key elements defining this century. In this regard, we place special importance on supporting women entrepreneurs. We are continuing our fight against violence against women, which is one of the common problems of the entire world, with the principle of zero tolerance against violence. As highlighted in the Platform for Action of the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan, we have made significant progress towards achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,” she stated.

“We will launch our project on researching the effects of climate change on women”

Highlighting the negative impacts of climate change and digitalization, Göktaş remarked, “The fight against the climate crisis is not just an environmental issue; it is also a matter of social justice and equality. We are strengthening our policy documents by considering the new developments brought by the era.” Göktaş stated that with the “Strategy Document and Action Plan for the Empowerment of Women” covering the years 2024-2028, they aim to increase women’s participation in economic and social life and ensure that they fully benefit from rights, opportunities, and resources, and added that they have included “Environment and Climate Change” in the policy axis. She mentioned that they have integrated digitalization into all policy axes, stating, “We will soon launch our project on researching the effects of climate change on women. With this project, we will identify the impact of climate change on women’s lives and determine their needs. In this context, we will develop policy proposals to enable women to participate more actively in the fight against climate change.”

“Our efforts to increase the interest of girls in fields like science, technology, and engineering continue”

Göktaş also drew attention to the fact that, according to data from the World Economic Forum, women make up 36% of the global workforce in digital sectors, yet they are employed in only 28% of technical roles. Göktaş stated, “We are providing women and girls with new skills that are compatible with green and digital transformation and aligned with the needs of the labor market. From this standpoint, our efforts to increase the interest of girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and ensure their visibility continue.” She expressed that they are encouraging girls to receive education in engineering fields through the “Turkey’s Engineer Girls Project” and stated, “I want to especially emphasize how happy we are to witness competent women engineers actively participating in the business world. Strengthening women in all aspects means strengthening society. Strong women are the foundation of a strong society. As a country, I would like to state that we will continue our policies towards empowering women with determination.” After the speeches, Minister Göktaş participated in the family photo taken as part of the forum.

Over 600 participants

The forum, held for the first time in Mongolia, features over 600 participants, including high-level representatives from 15 countries, officials from civil society organizations from around 20 neighboring countries, as well as representatives from the arts, sports, and business worlds. With the theme “For a Green Future,” the conference aims to increase women’s participation and leadership in addressing global sustainable development goals and issues such as climate change, as well as share best practices. During the forum, participants engage in discussions by attending meetings focused on issues related to the environment, food systems, economy, education, sports, arts, and culture to address interconnected problems such as climate change and economic instability.