Aiming to increase the knowledge of women beneficiaries on such core matters of working life as the working life, labour laws, and rights of working women, gender equality at work, and occupational safety and health in Turkey, the seminars were attended by a total 152 women beneficiaries of 106 Syrian, 6 Afghan and 40 Turkish nationality from Turkish A1, Computer Operating, Basic Makeup courses and Textiles, Local Kitchen and Turkish Conversation workshops. Aiming to facilitate and promote the entry of women beneficiaries of the Project into labour markets, the seminars are organised on seven topics every two months with the participation of representatives from specialised agencies.
Work Permits
At the seminar on 17 June 2019 with the participation of Ms. Büşra Durakoğlu, an assistant social services expert from the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services, the participants were informed on the legal procedures for the access to labour markets by foreigners granted Temporary Protection and International Protection; and then, answers were given to the questions from the women beneficiaries relating to the problems in entering the world of work. Information was provided to the participants on the current work of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services, and questions were answered on work permits. Participants mostly asked questions as to which agency they could turn for issues faced in working life in Gaziantep, what seasonal works should do when they were not paid their wages. In addition, participants stressed that there should be more frequent inspections relating to the irregularities in working life.
Social Security Rights
At the seminar on 18 June 2019 with the participation of Mr. Mehmet Aliko, a Social Security Inspector from Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of Social Security, information was provided on the status of insuredness of foreigners achieved upon obtaining the work permit. Further information was provided on the rights of insuredness including particularly women’s rights in the social security system in terms of pregnancy, birth-maternity, and marriage. Information was also provided on such helplines as Açık Kapı (Open Door), ALO 170 and Beyaz Masa (White Desk). The participant women told about the problems encountered by their spouses in the world of work and experience of working uninsured; and emphasis was made on the importance of insured work.
ISKUR Active Labour Market Programmes
At the seminar on 19 June 2019 with the participation of Mr. Engin Güngördü, a job and vocational counsellor from Gaziantep ISKUR, information was provided to women beneficiaries of the Project on ISKUR’s mandate and activities, courses and events offered, ISKUR’s current projects, active and passive labour market programmes, eligibility for benefiting from such projects, as well as how they could access Gaziantep ISKUR over the map. Information was also provided on unemployment insurance and means of access, as well as ISKUR’s work on employing persons with disabilities. Detailed information was provided on job-seeking processes under ISKUR activities. Participants were also shown, using real participant information, how to register at ISKUR online system; then 72 women beneficiaries were registered at ISKUR who wanted to participate in the world of work; thus, their job-seeking process was officially commenced.
Role Models
The role models seminar, aiming to bring together successful business women with the Project’s beneficiaries, was held on 20 June 2019 hosting, once more, Ms. Lubna Hilli of Syria who opened a chocolate shop called Lozard in Gaziantep. Having met the Project’s beneficiaries in May, Ms. Hilli drew intensive interest and met with different beneficiaries in June to share her experience. Ms. Hilli shared her personal story with the participants that she used to live in Idlib, Syria, graduated from the Law School of Aleppo University and worked professionally for years as a hospital manager, but had to move to Turkey upon the outbreak of the war. Having participated in various projects and courses in Gaziantep to develop herself, Ms. Hilli opened the chocolate shop Hilli Lozard, making chocolate pastries on the figures of such products as gyro, sushi, pizza and hamburger. Adopting the slogan “we grew with your love”, Ms. Hilli introduced the chocolate gyro, one of her innovative products, to the participants with photos and videos.
Cooperativism in Turkey
As the founding work for SADA Women’s Cooperative was completed, Ms. Melike Davaslı Okçu, an expert from the Ministry of Trade, provided information on cooperativism to the project participants at the seminar. At the seminar held on 21 June, information was provided to the participants on cooperatives’ areas of activities, establishment procedures, working principles as well as about some of the leading women’s cooperatives. It was also emphasised that cooperativism was easier than competing alone in the market, and had advantages of acting together. Short videos were watched on the work of women’s cooperatives in Turkey, then the seminar concluded with a question & answer session.
Occupational Safety and Health
At the seminar on 22 June 2019 with the participation of Ms. Burcu Ünal, an expert of occupational safety and health, information was provided on the obligations and rights of workers and employers under the laws including particularly in the legislation on OSH and Labour Law, Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), culture of safety, risk assessment, work accidents and occupational diseases, signs of safety and health and ergonomics. Further information was provided to participants on what must be done and which agencies must be contacted in case of work accidents; then the seminar concluded with a question & answer session on OSH problems faced by participants and families.
Gender Equality at Work
At the seminar on 25 June 2019 with the participation of psychologist Ms. Zehra Tosun, participants were first asked what aspects of themselves they liked most, areas of interest, strengths, and whether they wished to participate in working life. To the question whether they wished to work for pay, almost all responded affirmatively. They were also asked how their lives changed upon starting to visit SADA. The participants expressed that upon participating in the activities of SADA Women Centre, they started to have higher self-confidence, had opportunities to know Gaziantep better, had more communication with the local people, engaged in more activities other than household chores and sleep, and were able to act more independently at such institutions as hospital etc. The concept of gender, evolution of gender roles, gender-based division of work, gender-based discrimination, gender equality at work, violence against women, economic violence against women, education for girls, child marriages, their interrelation with the world of work were discussed, and the importance of solidarity among women was highlighted, then the seminar concluded.
