Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, in her speech at the "Social Protection, Care Services and Women's Empowerment Event for Just Transition" at the Blue Zone Aşık Veysel Hall within the scope of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change, said that just transition has been one of the basic principles of the climate agenda since the Paris Agreement.
However, Göktaş pointed out that this principle was addressed for a long time, mainly through the transition of employees in sectors such as coal and energy to new jobs, and stated that today its scope has expanded. Stating that a just transition mechanism was established at COP30, Göktaş stated that the Belem Action Plan for Gender Equality defines social protection and care services as a part of climate policies.
Emphasizing that this is a correct and appropriate development, Göktaş said, "Because the effects of climate change are not limited to workplaces. It is directly reflected in the income, health and care needs of households. Climate-related risks such as extreme heat, floods and drought affect women, children, the elderly and disabled individuals much more. Forced migrations due to wars and climate change make the living conditions of families difficult and increase the need for social protection. These effects are becoming more evident with the demographic change the world is experiencing." he said.
Göktaş pointed out that it is predicted that the population over the age of 65 will double in the world by 2050. Stating that, on the other hand, approximately half of the world's population still does not have any social protection assurance, Göktaş pointed out that this table shows that the success of climate policies in the coming period will depend on how integrated they are with social policies.
Stating that Türkiye is a country that adopts the social state concept as a constitutional principle and combines it with a deep-rooted tradition of solidarity, Göktaş said: "With this understanding, we construct our social policies as a strong structure that protects all segments of the society against all kinds of risks. The family is at the center of this structure. Because the family is the institution where people take shelter and find support in difficult times. The resistance of the society against the challenges brought by climate change increases with a strong and healthy family structure. Our President's 2026-2035 term." "Declaring the period as the Decade of Family and Population is an expression of this approach. In line with this vision, we build our social policies on early intervention, social protection and continuity of care services."
"WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN ECONOMIC LIFE IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE"
Minister Göktaş explained that they developed Social Risk Maps to detect risks early, monitored the needs at the household and regional level through 648 indicators and 35 risk maps, visited risky households in 81 provinces, identified the needs on-site, directed the families to relevant institutions and followed them throughout the process.
Pointing out that they have built their care services on family and community-based models, Göktaş said, "Who will care? The woman at home will care, the daughter at home, the spouse will care. In a period when we are talking about such a burden, we have to share the new care responsibilities correctly and fairly." he said. Talking about home care assistance, day care and active life centers, and child care services, Göktaş emphasized that the work of psychosocial support teams in disasters and emergencies is important for the uninterrupted maintenance of social services in climate-related disasters.
Stating that a just transition also means equal access to the opportunities of the green economy for everyone, Göktaş stated that women's participation in economic life is of great importance at this point. Göktaş noted that while green transformation creates new employment areas and entrepreneurship opportunities, it requires women to take a strong part in this process, and that they determined environment and climate change as one of the main targets for the first time in the Women's Empowerment Strategy Document and Action Plan.
Stating that they see the twin transformation approach, which deals with green and digital transformation together, as an important opportunity for the empowerment of women, Göktaş said, "We support the employment of women in the sectors of the future such as renewable energy, clean technology and digital economy. We encourage them to adapt to new technologies and increase their competencies with our training and professional development programs." he said.
Göktaş stated that, as Turkey, they believe that three important steps should be taken at the international level to strengthen the social dimension of the just transition. He stated that the first is to include social protection in national climate plans and adaptation strategies, the second is to evaluate care services within the scope of climate finance, and the third is to monitor the social effects of the just transition at the household level.
Underlining that they consider it important to make nurseries, day care centers and home care services resistant to climate risks, Göktaş said, "We believe that the entire burden should not fall on the woman in that household. The real value of care services is measured very little. The workload at home is almost uncompensated. Women's workload is not limited to just home and work. All the services they create throughout the day actually have a real value. We need to maintain this compensation in a more equitable way and pinpoint it." he said.
Stating that the just transition mechanism established in Belem offers an important opportunity to turn these steps into a common practice, Göktaş said, "As Türkiye, we are ready to share our experiences in this process and strengthen our cooperation with friendly countries." he said.
A PANEL WAS HELD UNDER THE MODERATORY OF GÖKTAŞ
Within the scope of the event, moderated by Minister Göktaş, Azerbaijan State Committee on Family, Women and Children's Issues Chairman Bahar Muradova, Organization of Islamic Cooperation for the Advancement of Women's Council of Ministers and Chief Executive Officer Amal Ammar, Serbian Minister Responsible for Gender Equality, Prevention of Violence Against Women and Women's Economic and Political Empowerment Tatjana Macura, and Somalia Minister of Family and Human Rights Development Khadija Mohamed Al Makhzoumi. A panel was organized with the participation of
Speaking here, Göktaş said that the climate crisis is not only an environmental problem but also an issue that deepens economic and social inequalities. Stating that the effects of these inequalities are especially evident in women's livelihoods and working lives, Göktaş said, "Women's say in determining climate policies is among the basic conditions for a just transition. We need a holistic approach that strengthens social protection, increases access to care services and offers new economic opportunities to women." he said.
