Hürriyet Kelebek / WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT IN TOURISM AND GASTRONOMY

One and a half years have passed since the earthquake disaster, centred in Kahramanmaraş and profoundly felt in Hatay and its districts, which shocked and deeply affected us all with its loss of life and destruction. In the early months, support aimed at healing wounds gradually shifted towards sustainable projects. In my opinion, one of the most important of these is the Samandağ Gastronomy project. At the beginning of the week, we met with the stakeholders of the project in Istanbul. At the meeting hosted by Bahar Uçanlar, General Manager of Mey|Diageo at IWSA, and attended by KEDV (Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work) President Şengül Akçar and Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay, the story and future goals of the project were shared.

The story began five years ago when the Samandağ Women's Cooperative leased 20 acres of land from the Samandağ Municipality for 25 years with the aim of establishing a Gastronomy Village. The project, initiated with dreams of creating a tourism destination under women's leadership and establishing a sustainable future in the region, was nearly completed when the earthquake almost completely destroyed the structures.

KEDV, the first women's foundation established to empower women in the history of the Republic and a member of the world's leading aid organization Oxfam three years ago, decided to explore ways to complete the project upon seeing the damage the 'Gastronomy Village' suffered during the earthquake. About a year ago, their paths crossed with Mey|Diageo, who supported the region during the crisis, and efforts to revive the 'Gastronomy Village' accelerated.

In the first phase, the restaurant and practical and theoretical training areas of the Gastronomy Village will be completed, with the buildings planned to open in October. Next, they will focus on sections that will host guests and sell local products. As Bahar Uçanlar emphasized in her speech, the earthquakes left many people, especially women, unemployed. When the construction process was delayed due to extreme heat and rain, they found suitable spaces to start life in the region as soon as possible and began training without waiting for the Gastronomy Village to open.

As part of the ‘Learning For Life’ program, around 100 women were trained in gastronomy and tourism in May and June. Most of them found jobs. Women from not only Samandağ but the entire region can participate in the training if they wish. The future plan is for the village to stand on its own feet with the participation of women who have gained skills through the training provided.

When the project is fully realized, it aims to provide certified training in the hospitality sector to women in the region, support women's labour, and increase the number of women entrepreneurs in agro and gastronomic tourism. Alongside chefs and trainers, nearly 100 people will be employed permanently.

As Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay stated, this project has the potential to change the fate of Samandağ, which has rivers, the sea, endemic plants, agricultural lands, and a historical and multicultural structure but has not become a tourism and gastronomy destination. With the project's multi-stakeholder structure aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and my belief in women's determination to work, I wholeheartedly believe in this initiative.