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1. Main challenges to social inclusion

2. Definitions and concepts

Main challenges to social inclusion

While developing and implementing social inclusion policies, various challenges are encountered. Some of these challenges include:

• Variability in policy coordination and implementation: Differences in approaches and capacities among institutions producing policies and services for disadvantaged groups often lead to inconsistencies in service delivery.

• Economic barriers: Limited financial resources hinder the development of effective strategies to combat social exclusion, particularly among vulnerable populations such as immigrants, people with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged youth.

• Barriers to education and employment: Disadvantaged youth often face difficulties in accessing quality education and employment opportunities due to socioeconomic inequalities, skill mismatches, and lack of career guidance.

• Regional disparities: Social exclusion is more pronounced in certain regions, particularly in rural and economically disadvantaged urban areas, where access to essential services and opportunities is limited.

• Digital divide: Unequal access to digital resources and skills training prevents marginalized youth from fully benefiting from online education, employment platforms, and digital services.

The Twelfth Development Plan (2024-2028) highlights the need for strengthening inclusive policies to overcome these challenges. It emphasizes increasing the participation of young people in decision-making processes, ensuring equal access to opportunities, and implementing tailored measures to support vulnerable groups.

Definitions and concepts

In the “Disadvantaged Young People and Social Inclusion” main political area of the National Youth and Sports Document (Ulusal Gençlik ve Spor Politikası Belgesi); “Social exclusion means individual’s being in a moral and material deficiency which makes him/her alienated from social life and becoming distanced from the institutions and social support which protect her/his rights and life.” In the same text, social inclusion is addressed as a concept which states the process of participation into the social life as a result of the integration of the individual into the society by decreasing or removing his/her disadvantages.

The Ministry of Family and Social Services defines social exclusion in its book named “Basic Concepts in Social Inclusion” as "the inability of certain individuals or groups to benefit from the results of economic growth, to be deprived of educational, economic, social, cultural, societal and political opportunities and not to be covered by social protection." In the same book, social inclusion is also conceptualized as "thought structures, activities and policies aiming to eliminate discriminatory lines between individuals and society and enhance social solidarity.”   

In the National Youth and Sports Policy Document, social exclusion is defined as: "An individual’s moral and material deficiency, which alienates them from social life and distances them from institutions and social support mechanisms that protect their rights and well-being."

The same document conceptualizes social inclusion as "the process of enabling individuals to participate in social life by reducing or eliminating their disadvantages and ensuring their integration into society."

The Ministry of Family and Social Services, in its publication “Basic Concepts in Social Inclusion”, defines social exclusion as: "The inability of certain individuals or groups to benefit from economic growth, to access educational, economic, social, cultural, societal, and political opportunities, and to be covered by social protection."

In the same publication, social inclusion is described as:"A set of thought structures, activities, and policies aimed at eliminating discriminatory lines between individuals and society while enhancing social solidarity."

Moreover, the Ministry of Family and Social Services references the European Commission’s definition, stating: "Social exclusion is the process of pushing certain groups to the margins of society due to poverty, low education levels, or inadequate life skills, thereby preventing their full participation. This process distances them from employment, income, education opportunities, and social networks. Their access to power structures and decision-making bodies is limited, reducing their influence on policies affecting them and their ability to improve their living standards."