Gülşen Koçuk / JINHA

SAMSUN – In the Black Sea city of Samsun, Turkey, nearly 700 women have built their own solution to the problems they face: collective economic solidarity.

Retired teacher Sefa Öz spent her career teaching in local villages, seeing firsthand the issues faced by women in the Black Sea region of Turkey. After she retired, she opened a knitted goods shop where women in the city of Samsun could gather and sell their wares. She went bankrupt after the shop failed to turn a profit. However, seeing the social impact that the shop had produced for women not used to their goods having any economic value, Sefa decided to sell her house and start again.

"It made women really happy to see the products they made break into the market," said Sefa. "This pushed me to work harder."

The women founded the Samsun Women's Empowerment and Support Association with the goal of providing a space for women to economically support themselves. Now, 678 women members produce knitted goods and sweaters. The association trains women in knitting to the point where they can teach it to others. "We want women to be working in a conscious way," says Sefa.

Although the women have succeeded in creating a space where women can support themselves economically, they face the problem that their work as women laborers is not recognized. Now, the women have one major demand: social security for home-based women workers.

"At this point, the state needs to support women," said Sefa.

(ro/fk/cm)