HelinYıldırım/JINHA

AMED - Many women who have fled war in Syria now survive in Turkey's streets by begging and washing car windows. This work exposes the women to widespread harassment.

Two million people have fled into Turkey and Northern Kurdistan since war began in Syria. More than half of these refugees are thought to be women. While 30% of these live in camps, the rest are left to attempt to survive on the streets of Turkey's cities, facing hunger and poverty every day. In addition to working in jobs they never wanted, these women and girls face the problem of pervasive harassment.

JINHA reporters found migrant women reluctant to talk about harassment, even as we watched men verbally and physically harass them as they begged on corners or headed into traffic to wash car windows.

One woman who agreed to speak about her experience was Fatma. Fatma is a mother of four. She spends every day of the week begging on the same corner, except one day when she cleans houses.

"We do this work because we have to, so our children can have clothes and food to eat," said Fatma."I have four children; I can only afford to send the girl to school. I don't want her to be like me."

Girls, a major part of this workforce, are also harassed on the streets of the cities. Eight-year-old Tuğbaworks from 7-8 in the morning until 10 at night venturing into traffic to wash the windows of passing cars.

"I do this work because our house is rented and we are ten brothers and sisters," said Tuğba. "I make 15-20 lira [~$5-7]. It's enough for me. My brothers and sisters do the same work."

A girl named Zehra said that she had experienced verbal harassment and people swearing at her, although she said she thought children got less negative attention.

"Sometimes they look at us like we're dirty or they turn their heads and don't look. It's like we aren’t there," said Zehra.

(fk/cm)