Minister Göktaş promotes women's roles in technology and Balkan entrepreneurship

Turkish Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş emphasized the importance of women playing decisive roles in technology and entrepreneurship during a meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia. Speaking at the Balkans Women Entrepreneurs Meeting organized by the World Turkish Business Council (DTİK) and the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), Göktaş highlighted that women should not only be users of technology but also its developers, investors, and decision-makers.

Göktaş noted that the global transformation driven by artificial intelligence and the data economy requires women to be actively involved in STEM fields to ensure competitiveness and data justice. She proposed a new economic cooperation model between Turkey and the Balkans, combining the region's young entrepreneurial talent with Turkey's industrial infrastructure and technological capacity.

Regarding domestic goals, Göktaş stated that Turkey aims to increase female employment to 40.1% as part of the 12th Development Plan. She highlighted existing supports, including the consolidation of incentives on a single portal and the establishment of 1,367 women's cooperatives, noting that 247,000 women have received training through such initiatives.