Soldiers to attend gender equality class

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

The Family and Social Policies Ministry and the Defense Ministry have signed a protocol titled “Social Gender Equality and the Struggle against Violence against Women,” according to which conscripts and non-commissioned officers will be trained on the issues.

Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz stated that they are aiming to increase consciousness and sensitivity toward women’s rights through the training, in a speech delivered on the occasion of the signing of the protocol on July 3.

Yılmaz also suggested that the training would be beneficial in strengthening family bonds. He said the protection of women’s rights, the strengthening of family bonds, and preventing decreases in peace within families and violence against women would be among the issues to be handled during lectures.

“Family is the basis of our society. If there is peace within the family, there will be peace within the society,” he added.

‘Sustainable development’

Similarly, Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin said such issues were important for all members of society. “For sustainable development, for our 2023 targets, what has been done is very important. We need to use our human potential well. We need to make it a part of development. Therefore, everyone should be a part of society, without discrimination: women and men, old and young, disabled and not,” Şahin said, describing the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) as “a strong education army.”