Evimiz Atölye (Community Home Workshops) is a community-focused empowerment initiative organized by the Women and Family Services Department of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, in partnership with the Mersinden Women’s Cooperative. Launched under the slogan “Elde Var Yetenek, Evde Var Ekmek” (“Skills in Hand, Bread at Home”), the project brings together women from neighborhoods across Mersin to develop practical skills, build social connections, and support household income through hands-on workshops and training activities.
The central aim of Evimiz Atölye is to unlock the hidden labour and creativity of women in their homes, enabling them to learn new crafts, produce handmade goods, and gain economic and personal empowerment. Workshops are held in community venues throughout the city’s neighborhoods, with activities including toy making, soap production, sewing, and other artisanal crafts that allow participants to both enjoy the creative process and potentially generate supplemental income.
Evimiz Atölye has reached women in dozens of neighborhoods and, as of 2025, has touched the lives of thousands of participants through its neighborhood-based sessions. At each workshop stop, women receive instruction, complete activities, and often earn certificates recognizing their participation and newly acquired skills. The project also encourages social interaction and mutual support among participants, strengthening community ties as women share experiences and work together.
The initiative is responsive to participant interests and needs; for example, new workshop types such as soap-making workshops were added in response to women’s requests, helping them learn crafts that can be used at home or sold for income. Finished products produced through Evimiz Atölye are often made available through municipal producer markets and display spaces, providing women with opportunities to turn their skills into economic value.
In addition to skill development and income-earning potential, Evimiz Atölye emphasizes social inclusion and wellbeing. Workshops bring women together in supportive settings where they can socialize, share knowledge, and build confidence. In some cases, sessions have included participants from vulnerable groups — such as mothers of children with special needs — who describe the workshops as therapeutic and uplifting experiences.
Evimiz Atölye reflects the Municipality’s commitment to gender-responsive community development, economic empowerment, and social cohesion. By creating accessible spaces where women can learn, produce, connect, and contribute both creatively and economically, the project continues to support women’s participation in community life and local economies.
