Work Conducted with Women in Hatay

Throughout 2025 in Hatay, one of MaviKalem’s central focuses was ensuring that women who continue to exist through their production after the earthquake feel that they are not alone and that their labor turns into real, tangible returns.

We did not only want women to keep producing, we wanted what they produce to be seen, to be valued, and to reach buyers. That is why we shared the business stories, products, and services of women producers in the earthquake-affected region through our website kadinisi.org and our social media channels. For us, it was essential that a woman could say, “This is what I do!” and be the face of her own work. We also shared how people could reach women’s products, because visibility only truly matters when it turns into sales and real income. This is exactly why we ran the campaigns “Buy from Women Producers!”, “Level Up Life!”, and “Support Women’s Businesses!” throughout the year. Through these campaigns, we did not frame women’s labor as a story of aid, but as valuable production. We amplified women’s voices, spread their messages, and enabled them to reach new customers.

In addition to being visible, women also need to be able to grow their businesses in a sustainable way. On our YouTube channel and website, we published conversations with experts. These videos covering topics such as Instagram use, marketing, sales, product presentation, and communication — were shared online so that women could return to them whenever they needed. In this way, knowledge became not a one-time event, but a resource women could continuously carry with them as they developed their businesses. We also organized marketing- and visibility-focused webinars and continue to hold our online gatherings regularly. These meetings are open not only to women in Hatay but also to women producing in different parts of Türkiye. Wherever she is, any woman can join this solidarity sphere to grow her business.

Through our Advisory Line, we answered questions from women producers across different cities. We provided tangible support to very concrete questions such as, “How do I sell this?”, “How do I reach customers?”, and “How do I tell the story of my product?”

In 2025, we provided equipment and material support to 55 women so they could truly grow their businesses. For many women, this meant increasing their production or stepping into new product and service areas. Their incomes increased — but more importantly, the feeling of “I can do this!” became stronger.

Of course, in this journey, women drawing strength from one another was essential. The solidarity meetings we organized became spaces where women could come together to talk about both their work and their lives. Through conversations on gender equality, women’s labor, visibility, and rights, many women began to see both themselves and each other from a new perspective.

2025 showed us one thing very clearly: Women do not only produce, they grow stronger by supporting one another. In 2026, we continue to strengthen this solidarity by supporting women producers to grow their businesses, enhance production and move forward together.