“A woman’s place is not in the home. The most beautiful thing in this life is to earn your own money without depending on anyone… For this reason, women should work without thinking about what people will tell,” said Şadiye Akboz, who is the only woman working in the historic Eğil district of Amed despite social pressure.

MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed – Şadiye Akboz is the only woman working in the Eğil district of Amed (Diyarbakır) province. Although it is a touristic district, it is almost impossible to find a woman in working life in the district due to its feudal society. But Şadiye has broken these social norms and she has been working in a restaurant located in the district center for years. “I have worked in this restaurant for years. I have cleaned the kitchen and rolled out dough for lahmacun (looks like a thin pizza). Before beginning to work here, I worked in Diyarbakır city center. We are four persons working in the restaurant. My house is in the same building as the restaurant. I have a child. I meet my needs and look after my child by working,” said Şadiye, who has worked in the district with a population of 20 thousand.

“I did what hadn’t been done before”

When Şadiye began to work, she closed her ears to not hear the comments and questions of the district residents. Her family always supported her during that period. “I am the only woman working in the district now. People criticized me when I began to work here. I heard many things from them. For instance, some told me, ‘A woman cannot work; her place is in the home.’ But the important thing for me was my family and what I wanted to do. When people first saw me, they were confused. The district is a small district and I did what hadn’t been done before,” said Şadiye, talking about what she had faced when she began to work in the district.

“The most beautiful thing in this life is to earn your own money”

“A woman’s place is not in the home,” said Şadiye, who is also a tailor. Talking about the dresses she has sewn, Şadiye told us that working is a lifestyle for her. She also called on women to participate in working life, “I earn my own money. And I am very happy to work. I want to call on all women; if women want to work, they should work. The most beautiful thing in this life is to earn your own money without depending on anyone… For this reason, women should work without thinking about what people will tell.”