Minister Işıkhan Shared Turkey's Employment Vision at the G20 Summit
Minister of Labor and Social Security Prof. Dr. Vedat Işıkhan presented Turkey’s employment policies at the G20 Meeting of Ministers of Labor and Employment, hosted by South Africa.
This article was translated automatically from Turkish. Türkçe orijinal ›
Turkey’s experiences and goals were discussed in sessions titled “Youth Employment,” “Women’s Labor Force Participation,” and “Inclusivity.”
According to a news report on the Ministry’s official website, during the session titled “Inclusive Growth, Employment Growth, and Empowering Youth,” Minister Işıkhan highlighted the opportunities that digital transformation, the green economy, and demographic changes present for youth employment. Noting that the youth unemployment rate, which stood at 18.5 percent in 2015, rose to 25.3 percent in 2020 due to the pandemic, Minister Işıkhan stated that it had since declined to its lowest level in the past 20 years by 2024 and further dropped to 15.4 percent in May 2025, Minister Işıkhan emphasized that İŞKUR’s vocational training programs, incentives for young entrepreneurs, and training for 250,000 young people in fields such as artificial intelligence, solar panel installation, and cybersecurity have been effective.
Recalling the 2015 Antalya Youth Goal’s objective of reducing NEET rates, Minister Işıkhan stated that they had helped 40,000 young women enter the workforce and expressed satisfaction with the new “Nelson Mandela Bay Goal.”
WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
During the “Equal Opportunities in the Workforce” session, Minister Işıkhan emphasized that increasing women’s participation in the workforce is critical for social balance and sustainable development, noting that Turkey aims to raise women’s employment rate to 40.1 percent through its 2025–2028 National Employment Strategy. He highlighted initiatives such as child care services, increased daycare capacity, vocational training programs, and the “Women’s Empowerment Strategy,” as well as flexible work models and parental leave. He stated that they would continue to facilitate women’s participation in the workforce to strengthen the institution of the family.
In her speech, Minister Işıkhan addressed the plight of women and children in Gaza, saying, “The right to live in a safe environment must be a priority for humanity.”
In closing, Işıkhan noted that the G20’s spirit of solidarity offers solutions to global challenges. He emphasized that Turkey continues to pursue its “Opening to Africa” Policy based on the principle of “African solutions to African problems” and that Africa holds an important place in the “Turkey Century” vision.
