On 22-23 November 2023, delegates of the TURKPA Secretariat took part in the Meeting of the Standing Committees of the Member Parliaments titled “Ensuring Equal Opportunities for Women and Men and Empowerment” hosted by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (GNAT) in Antalya.
The meeting was chaired by the Chairperson of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men of the GNAT Çiğdem Erdoğan Atabek. Speaking at the event, Chairperson of Committee stressed the importance of work carried out within the framework of TURKPA as an efficient platform for strengthening solidarity and cooperation in the Turkic world. At the same time, she expressed belief that such meetings would contribute to further development of collaboration between the member parliaments in the field of protection of rights of women.
The meeting focused on women's participation in decision-making mechanisms, importance of empowering women in the field of education, challenges and opportunities for women's access to equal economic opportunities in the public and private sector.
Chairperson of the Committee on Family, Women’s and Children’s Affairs of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Hijran Huseynova, Members of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Gulya Kozhokulova and Gulsharkan Kultayeva, Members of the GNAT Çiğdem Koncagül, Suna Kepolu Ataman, Tuba Vural Çokal, Fatma Ekmekçi, Ayşe Sibel Ersoy, Şenol Sunat, Pelin Yılık, Deputy Secretary General of the GNAT Kübra Teymur, Members of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Manzura Salimova, Abira Khuseynova, Members of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan – Chairperson of the Committee on Labor and Social Issues Mavludakhon Khodzhayeva and Zafar Khudayberdiyev, Vice-Chair of the Assembly of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Fazilet Özdenefe and Member of the Assembly of the TRNC Resmiyye Canaltay delivered speeches at the meeting.
The two-day event brought together parliamentarians of Turkic states to share experience on good policies and practices, including implementation of national strategies and programs aimed at empowerment of women in all spheres of social life, ensuring participation of women at all levels of decision-making process and equal opportunities for leadership, protection of rights of women and girls as well as to discuss the current challenges faced by women in Turkic states. The participants underlined the significance of further joint parliamentary efforts on full elimination of discrimination against women.
The meeting was concluded with the closing remarks of the Chairperson of the GNAT Committee on Equal Opportunity for Women and Men Çiğdem Erdoğan Atabek and Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş.
