We commemorate International Women's Day this year, in the midst of critical circumstances and challenges that strongly undermine human rights and gender equality.
The war scene unfolding in Europe, with all its tragic implications, and the protracted pandemic crisis, are conducive to continuous violations of women's fundamental rights, which have been won through decades of struggle and struggle.
Women are equally experiencing the impact of war conflicts. At the same time, the global pandemic and economic crisis, climate change, poverty, unemployment and all forms of violence hit women even harder.
But we see that despite the disproportionate responsibilities they bear through the different roles they are called upon to perform, they manage to fight back every day by actively showing the way to equality.
With their ability, dynamism and passion, modern women participate equally in the effort to tackle the pandemic, are at the forefront of peace and security and actively contribute to the development of modern societies. However, we remain committed to what remains to be done.
That is why, as a Government, we place gender equality issues high on our priorities and promote measures and actions in this direction.
Programmes are already being implemented to reduce unemployment, to empower women economically, to reconcile personal, family and professional life, to narrow the pay gap, to achieve balanced participation in decision-making centres, to eliminate legislative discrimination against women, to deconstruct gender stereotypes and to combat gender-based violence.
The National Coordinating Body for the Istanbul Convention starts its operation at the end of this month, with the aim of promoting effective actions to prevent and address violence against women.
Through the interdisciplinary cooperation of the agencies involved, and alongside the important services offered by the "Women's House", the network of support, protection and empowerment of victims of gender-based violence will be further strengthened.
Changes have also been rolled out in the way victims of sexual violence are handled by the Police and we stand ready to support any effort that puts women victims and their rights at the centre. But I assure you that we do not stop here. We are monitoring, and where corrective measures are needed we are ready to intervene with new policies and approaches.
(MJ/EHR)
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