Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar: The empowerment of women and the strengthening of the family are two complementary processes
The 1st International Conference on Strengthening the Family, organized through the cooperation of Istanbul Commerce University, the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Family and Social Services, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan, the Uzbekistan Committee on Family and Women, our foundation, and the Uzbek Women’s Rights Association, concluded following the sessions held at Istanbul Commerce University and the closing and vision speeches.
The closing session of the conference, held under the theme “State Policies Based on Strengthening the Family in Türkiye and Uzbekistan,” was attended by Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş; Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan Sharipov Kongratbay Avezimbetovich; Chair of the Board of Trustees Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar; Chair of the Board of Trustees of Istanbul Commerce University Dr. İsrafil Kuralay; Rector of Istanbul Commerce University Necip Şimşek; Chair of the Board Atty. Dr. Canan Sarı; Rector of Bukhara Technical University Sadoqat Sıddıqova; President of the Uzbek Women’s Rights Protection Association Ozoda İslomova; along with many academics and invited guests.
“The family is the foundation of social stability”
In her closing remarks, Chair of the Board of Trustees Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar stated that the sessions held over two days once again demonstrated the multidimensional and strategic nature of the issue of family.
Bayraktar said in her speech:
Emphasizing that the family is not merely a heading within social policies, Bayraktar said, “The family is the foundation of social stability. The family is the most fundamental bond that connects generations. The family is where values are preserved and transmitted, and where identity is shaped.”
Drawing attention to the strong historical and cultural ties between Türkiye and Uzbekistan, Bayraktar stated that every joint step taken to strengthen the family directly contributes to the social stability of both countries and to the future of generations.
“The empowerment of women and the strengthening of the family complement each other”
Recalling that KADEM has been working in the field of women’s rights for 13 years, Bayraktar emphasized that the empowerment of women and the strengthening of the family are not competing processes, but complementary ones.
“It is not possible for a structure in which women are not physically, psychologically, and economically safe to produce a healthy family. A family environment free from violence and grounded in safety is the strongest pillar of society.”
Bayraktar noted that through its work in education, employment, leadership, entrepreneurship, and cooperativism, KADEM contributes to the economic and social resilience of families, and that it also provides legal and psychosocial support through Women’s Support Centers.
Joint Roadmap and Academic Outcomes
Throughout the conference, topics such as the relationship between education and values, intra-family communication, pre- and post-marital support models, psychosocial counseling mechanisms, legal regulations, the impact of digitalization on the family, media representations, intergenerational solidarity, and aging policies were discussed.
Speaking at the program, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş emphasized Türkiye’s determination regarding family-oriented social policies and stated that international cooperation makes a significant contribution to policy-development processes.
In his speech, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Istanbul Commerce University Dr. İsrafil Kuralay noted that the technology- and material-centered transformation of modern life directly affects the family structure, and evaluated the family not only as an individual issue but as a shared concern of humanity. Emphasizing that scientific studies are insufficient unless they intersect with real life, Kuralay stated that academic knowledge must be applied to social and family life. Pointing out that global developments such as isolation, migration, and war weaken the family, he emphasized that the solution lies in advancing civilizational heritage and scientific approaches together.
At the closing program, thanks were extended to the institutions and stakeholders who contributed to the conference process, and it was conveyed that cooperation between Türkiye and Uzbekistan in the field of family policies would continue through more comprehensive projects and scientific studies.
The 1st International Conference on Strengthening the Family concluded with the aim of establishing a lasting academic and institutional cooperation framework between the two countries in the field of family policies.
