çöp(m)adam hakkında // çöp(m)adam

I knew there would be challenges I hadn't experienced! There were times when I was surprised by my own naivety in this initiative—I thought I knew a lot when I started but I was so wrong! My expectations included establishing a workshop focused on empowering women, working in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with multinational companies, and becoming a model that others could follow: addressing several different aspects through a single environment. I'm not sure if we became a model, but I'm glad that others can see we focus on both empowering women and creating at least some awareness of environmental responsibility! I promised the women I would maintain the project for at least 5 years. We have been going for nearly 17 years now. We still face challenges, but we continue to receive significant support from various clients.

To date, we have worked with more than 500 women. Many have left us to work elsewhere—we're proud of that because our primary criterion for working with us is being a woman, and the second is having never worked in a paid job before. Women who leave us to start working elsewhere gain enough confidence to work in another place, and their families benefit from her increased self-esteem and income.

Is there a place for men at çöp(m)adam? Of course! The only business partner of çöp(m)adam was a man; men who support women's work, as well as male customers, are also supporters of our efforts! However, since the proportion of women in the workforce in the country is just over 30%, we officially provide an opportunity exclusively for women.

Illustration: Zeynep Özarslan // 2017

How did çöp(m)adam start?

From frustration and burn out! At Sabancı University, where I initiated and managed the Civic Involvement Projects program, I was working on teaching students how to get more directly involved in civil society. After 10 years, I was ready to move on. I felt the Civic Involvement Projects program would continue without me; I also felt I no longer needed the program. I realized I was exhausted from constant struggle, rowing against the current. It was time to go with the flow, make a difference, do something different, and approach civil society issues from a new perspective. The environmental projects in the Civic Involvement Projects program were always popular, but I wasn't sure if they truly made an impact. I had been active in the women's movement for a few years and wanted to focus on empowering women on a more local level. I also wanted to create an initiative that respected the handicraft skills many women in Turkey possess. I wasn't aiming to start a business! My goal was to raise individual responsibility toward the environment and provide opportunities for women. Given the infrastructure of the country, it made most sense to form çöp(m)adam Ltd.