Syrian and Turkish women build a cooperative and economic independence in Turkey

With Turkey hosting more than 3.6 million Syrians, that makes it home to the world’s largest refugee population. Many of those refugees, who have been granted “temporary protection” in Turkey, work in the agri-food and livestock sectors, which offer the most opportunities in the areas where they reside. However, these opportunities are often informal and seasonal, exposing Syrians and vulnerable Turkish communities, especially women, to poor working conditions, informal employment, and low or irregular wages. This situation triggers social tension, and this has proved particularly the case during the COVID-19 pandemic.