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Family and gender issues have traditionally been confined to the social sphere, but they are increasingly a subject of political and economic discussion, widely included in the national policies of states to ensure economic growth and political stability.

In Turkiye, the protection of the traditional family structure has become a focal point of political debates and public policy. In response to growing concerns over the declining birth rate, the Turkish government has declared 2025 the “Family Year” and established the Family Institute and Population Policies Board, which is expected to implement population policies with a holistic approach to ensure the demographic structure.

The family is viewed as the foundation of Turkish society and its central role in state-society relations is related to a broader vision: the belief that the family is key to overcoming the political and economic challenges that Turkiye is likely to face in the coming future. Turkish ministries of finance, labor and social security, health, and family and social policies have rolled up their sleeves to work together to produce a new population policy.

For Turkish policymakers, a growing population is a must for a strong state and society. In response to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s warning about declining birth rates, the government implemented a series of measures to support families and encourage childbirth. However, that will not be enough to address Turkiye’s demographic challenges. For these policies to be effective, they must be supported by an inclusive agenda.

If the family is indeed the main pillar of society, the transformation must begin at the societal level. This means that policy approaches should be bottom-up rather than top-down. Before the government implements family-friendly policies, society itself needs to become more family friendly. Only in this way can the demographic threats that Turkiye faces be challenged.

One key challenge in Turkish society and elsewhere is the negative perception of women who choose to work. Family policies constructed with only women in mind, or that only focus on the “women and family” nexus, are reductive. For family policies to succeed, both men and women must be part of the discussion. Sex equality must start at home, and family policies should encourage men to embrace roles as supportive partners in family life, encourage women going to work, and promote a healthy space for pregnancies in the work-family balance. The responsibility for enacting such policies falls not only on the government but also on the private sector. Women’s economic empowerment is critical for any country’s economic growth. Without stable and fair working conditions, women will continue to struggle to balance work and family life, which limits their potential and that of the country.

Poverty and domestic violence weaken the family structure in Turkiye. Threats to the family structure are not only economic in nature: they also involve the psychological and physical violence that can occur within the home. Domestic violence against women undermines the integrity of the family unit. Women exposed to violence at home cannot contribute to a healthy family structure. Thus, any policy that aims to strengthen families must first address domestic violence and promote sex equality as a foundational element of family life.

Child abuse is another issue that needs urgent attention. In Turkiye, it increased by 33 percent in 2022 compared with the previous year. This alarming rise underscores a deeper problem: not every man or woman is ready or fit to be a parent. Family violence against women and children is not just a societal issue, it is a political and legal issue, and a crime against humanity. It undermines the well-being of society and threatens the future of a nation. Only families free from violence can contribute to a society free from violence, and only such families can secure a stable, healthy future for a nation. There are still criticisms that current laws in Turkiye are not child and women centric. Addressing these criticisms with promoting a “rights-based” awareness in society should be a key task for Turkish policymakers.

These challenges are not unique to Turkiye. Around the world, many states emphasize the importance of the family structure, but continue to implement the same norms and policies. These policies, often unchanged for decades, fail to address the root causes of the issues and have not delivered the necessary results. There must be a shift in the way of looking at the matter to ensure that family structures are truly strengthened.

Creating stronger families requires more than just top-down state policies: it requires a shift in societal attitudes and the adoption of a more progressive and inclusive agenda that recognizes the urgent needs of families, particularly women and children. By embracing such an agenda, states such as Turkiye can begin to change the course of the demographic trends that threaten their future. Only this can lead to stronger families and ultimately a stronger nation.

• Dr. Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz