I visited the First Step Women's Environment, Culture and Business Cooperative, which was founded 22 years ago with the dream of a place where women from all walks of life could come together, receive education and produce.
When I get off İstanbul's stuffy and smelly subway and enter the street of the cooperative in Kâğıthane, I notice men sitting in front of coffee houses and shops.
Unaware of the stories I am about to hear, I think about how unequal the very existence of men and women on the street is.
Zöhre Çelik welcomes me at the door. While I look around, Ms. Zöhre continues her work in the sewing room. Then Evin Bingöl arrives and our conversation begins.
The birth of the cooperative
Evin Bingöl met the cooperative through her mother. 22 years ago, she, who came here with her mother and Gülten Bingöl, one of the founders of the cooperative, graduated in child development and has been a volunteer teacher at the cooperative's nursery, "Cansu's Playroom," for about 10 years.
She is also responsible for the functioning of the cooperative. She tells me the story of the cooperative and the playroom:
“Twenty-two years ago, two women dreamed of a place where they could get paid for their labor and develop themselves. They planned to do this in a way that was accessible to every woman in the neighborhood, without being affiliated with any political party.”
To this end, they approached the Foundation for the Evaluation of Women's Work (KEDV) and the foundation worked with them. They take care of everything from the cooperative's space to the trainings given to women. The mukhtar of the time allocated the upper floor of the cooperative for the playroom. The mothers work downstairs while their children receive education upstairs.
Zöhre Çelik is one of the founders of the cooperative. She met the cooperative when she was looking for a reliable and affordable daycare center where she could leave her child while working. Her eyes shine when she tells us that her daughter, who used to go to the playroom back then, is now a teacher at the same place.
Free trainings
I ask Evin Bingöl how the women of the neighborhood benefit from the cooperative. She explains that they provide trainings in many different areas, from weaving to computer use, from hygiene to financial literacy.
The women inform the cooperative about what they feel they lack or would like to become more aware of. The cooperative reports these requests to KEDV and the foundation directs the relevant expert volunteers to the cooperative. Women thus receive training from experts completely free of charge.
I wonder how this small place, based on volunteerism, survives. Evin Bingöl tells me about products such as weaving, pillowcases and belts that are sent abroad through KEDV. However, she adds that access to these markets is limited, which is why the cooperative has not been able to fully develop.
The joy of turning on the computer
I am surprised by the level of consciousness of the women in the neighborhood. Not only is the cooperative always an open door for them, but I also observe how willing the women are to come here.
Evin Bingöl talks about how women's lives have changed thanks to the cooperative. One woman tells how she was afraid to even go to the grocery store, but had the courage to participate in a cooking program. It was an important moment for her when women shared the joy of opening a computer.
I ask about solidarity with the cooperative in the neighborhood. Evin Bingöl emphasizes that women in the neighborhood want to make use of their domestic labor and that the cooperative is an inevitable necessity for this. She explains that the solidarity in the neighborhood is strong and that families support the cooperative.
Migrant women
I am curious about migrant women's relationship with the cooperative. Evin Bingöl explains that Syrian women are enterprising, but they cannot get permission from their families. She says that they receive various trainings at the cooperative, but their families usually do not allow them to work in textile companies.
Evin Bingöl says that the cooperative has grown with its moral strength. She says that women grow in solidarity here and that they are able to find solutions even in times of crisis.
Şehriban İmece, on the other hand, emphasizes that the cooperative is a place where women support each other rather than the financial benefits. Women continue to work here because they feel valued.
'Support is needed in every field'
Evin Bingöl emphasizes that the cooperatives are in danger of closing down due to economic difficulties and that they need support from local governments to the government: “In order to support these women, support is needed from local governments to the government."
We end our pleasant conversation with these sentences. (ADÇ/VK)
