Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Türkiye's Family and Social Services Minister who took office last month vowed Wednesday to further enhance social services, aiming to reach millions of households through a social support program.
Speaking to the media representatives in a nursery home in Ankara, Minister Göktaş emphasized the Ministry of Family and Social Services' exemplary role, as it is one of the ministries that highly interact with citizens.
The minister mentioned that a 30-year plan has been made in line with the 2053 vision and pledged to deliver the goals stated within the framework of the "12th Development Plan 2024-2028."
"We will bring social service centers to every district. With the Family Social Support Program, we will reach millions of households across Türkiye. We will continue to provide family-oriented education and counseling services with the understanding of 'Strong individual, strong woman, strong family, strong Türkiye," she underlined.
"We will strengthen the harmony between family and work life. We will expand the availability of quality and easily accessible childcare and preschool care and education facilities," she added.
Highlighting the aim of implementing flexible and remote working practices to increase women's participation in the workforce, Minister Göktaş stated they aim to become a pioneering public institution in this regard.
"We will implement the Income Supplement Family Support System, which guarantees a certain income level for households. We will launch the family-based citizenship allowance program," she said.
"Throughout the Family Protection Shield Program, we will support housewives' retirement. We will develop and expand specialized housing and care services for women, children, disabled individuals, and the elderly. We will enhance the quality and quantity of housing, care, and rehabilitation facilities," the minister said.
Children-oriented initiatives
Answering the questions from the representatives from media outlets regarding measures against child abuse and violence on digital platforms, the minister acknowledged ongoing efforts conducted toward combating these issues on digital media channels.
Emphasizing the various efforts presented, Göktaş said that the ministry's institutions provide training to parents who use private kindergartens and day-care centers and the staff of these institutions to raise awareness about the conscious and safe use of the internet.
"As of June 2023, approximately 20,000 parents and over 14,000 personnel have received Digital Risk Prevention Training," Göktaş noted.
In addition, the minister revealed the plan for implementing the temporary foster family program. "We will implement the Child Rights Strategy Document and Action Plan with the contributions and cooperation of all stakeholders in the field," she said.
Pointing out that they would organize "Children's Councils" in order to discuss the children-oriented policies and practices, Göktaş stated that they would support the development of children academically, socially, sportively, artistically, and professionally and ensure that they grow up as well-equipped individuals.
Regarding gender-based violence, Minister Göktaş stated that they are "very sensitive" about this issue and act with a zero-tolerance approach.
"We adopt a comprehensive approach with the principle of 'zero tolerance.' Foremost, let me say this and emphasize it. We have constitutionally guaranteed equality and positive discrimination in basic laws. We have established a strong legal infrastructure with Law No. 6284 and the second legislation for protecting victims and prevention of violence," she said.
"We continue our efforts to strengthen our laws and improve their implementation. We continue to take measures to increase penalties in cases of femicide and violence against women," Göktaş noted.
Touching upon the elderly and vulnerable groups of society, including disabled individuals, Göktaş added that they aim to increase the number of elderly nursing homes and rehabilitation centers to 180.