MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 Amed (Diyarbakır)- Şimel Women’s Cooperative was founded in Amed two months ago by six women aiming to make women’s labor visible. At the cooperative, homemade products and meals of women are sold. Şimel Beğik, one of the founders of the cooperative, called on women to produce from home.

 ‘The aim is to make women’s labor visible’

Şimel Beğik told us that the cooperative was founded by six women in order to provide employment to unemployed women.

“This cooperative was founded to provide employment to unemployed women. Actually, we aimed to open the cooperative before; however, we opened it two months ago due to the earthquakes. There are women struggling both at the workplace and home; however, their labor is always invisible. We founded this cooperative to make women’s labor visible.”

‘We support women in the market’

“We see the cooperative as an employment space for women,” said Şimel Beğik, adding, “There are women, who believe in themselves but cannot enter the market due to the lack of courage. We encourage women to enter the market and start their own business. We aim the cooperative to be an umbrella organization for women who work from home and work outside. Thus, we will make their invisible labor visible. All products that you see here are made by women.”

‘Women are the most affected by the economic crisis’

Pointing to the deteriorating economic crisis in Turkey, Şimel Beğik said, “Women are the most affected by the economic crisis. They cannot find a space to sell their products. The deteriorating economic crisis has affected everyone but mostly women. The more women gain their economic independence, the more they join the labor force. We aim to create a space for women to sell their products.”