Women of Derince Come Together

The centers set up by the Foundation of Appraising Womens Handwork have turned into a cooperative. The women owners of the cooperative produce ornaments and contribute to their families income. Coordinator Okcu says, women should organize.

Kocaeli

The women working at the five centers in Kocaeli established by the Foundation for Appraising Women's Handwork (KEDV), set up a cooperative. The headquarters of KEDV are in Istanbul.

The women at the 15-partnered cooperative make and sell various ornaments and contribute to their families' income. The women are making the Derince Simge Women Environment Culture and Management Cooperative look like a factory.

The women from Derince came together under a cooperative

Hamdi Kadioglu, the provincial head of social services, visited the establishment which was formerly under KEDV's management, but which became Derince Simge Women Environment Culture and Management Cooperative in March.

Nehir Yazgan and Fatma Okcu, the KEDV coordinators, Hamiyet Yazici, the head of the cooperative, Sevgi Kesen, the head of the Yesilova Kardelen Cooperative, and the women working within the cooperative talked to Kadioglu about their problems and work.

Hamiyet Yazici, the head of the cooperative said:

* We are at a point that we accept orders from stores.

* The women take all the responsibility within the cooperative. We make joint decisions and take joint action.

* There is a nursery at our cooperative for the children of ages 3-4 and 5-6. The women who work at these nurseries are all volunteers.

"There should be women's groups"

Fatma Okcu, the KEDV coordinator, reminded Kadioglu that the prefabricated buildings were evacuated and said that the cooperative should move somewhere else.

"Women should set up organized, coordinated but independent groups and have a say in problems concerning them," said Okcu. "For this reason, we are trying to make an agreement with municipalities and facilitate women's groups in neighborhoods." (NK/BB)