Jiyan Women’s Neighborhood Market, established in 2013 in the Bağlar district of Diyarbakır with the aim of increasing women’s participation in economic life, has become both a space of solidarity and a place of resistance over the years. Only women were allowed to work at the market opened in Bağcılar Neighborhood, while priority was given to women who were victims of violence and low-income. This market, which opened with over 200 stalls, quickly became a source of income for many women.

A space of economic solidarity for women

Jiyan Women’s Neighborhood Market initially attracted attention as one of the rare examples in Turkey where only women could be employed. Here, women learned to stand on their own two feet and began to produce in solidarity with their social circles.

Men’s stalls and resistance

As the neighborhood grew and the market attracted more attention over time, a process began in which male marketers also tried to enter this area. Although women resisted this situation, men began to take their place in the market over time.

Rukiye Balkış, one of the names that resisted this process the most, continues to defend the existence of women in this area by embracing the founding philosophy of the market. Balkış, who says, “If given the opportunity, women can do any job,” not only makes a living, but also becomes a voice in a field of struggle and representation.