The Association for Appraising Canakkale Women's Handcraft will pursue its efforts through the new Women's Center. It was established with the aim of providing financial and emotional support to women who have undergone social or domestic violence.

The Center, which was established on May 27, employs women lawyers and social workers, and also aims to provide legal assistance to women who have been exposed to beating or violence in any other form.

The Association was established in 1999 with the main objective of helping housewomen to take part in the society as productive individuals and voluntarily acquire various skills. The Association has 80 members with different careers.

The members of the Association also organize training sessions in connection to the Women for Women's Human Rights,so that the women in the province of Canakkale can find out about their legal rights.

The souvenirs produced at homes or at the association by the group consisting of 80 housewomen, are sold at the city center, on the stands provided by the Association.

The aim is to establish a shelter for women

Gulay Sarisen, the chair of the Association, who spoke to bianet, said that they don't want their efforts to be limited to appraising women's work. Sarisen explained that they are getting organized around the problems faced by women today, just because they are women.

* There were limited facilities women could turn to when they were faced with a problem. The idea to establish an association resulted from the need of women for becoming organized and to supporting each other.

* We want to establish a shelter for women who have been exposed to violence in the future. This new center is our first step towards generating solutions to women's problems.

* We had the opportunity to comprehend the problems of especially the housewomen through our association. Through this association, we have shared many things freely and comradely. But we needed such a center to generate concrete solutions for our problems.

Women's active participation in life

The Association for Appraising Canakkale Women's Handcraft was established through the joint efforts of the women who attended the Training of Women for Women's Human Rights, launched in 1998 at the Canakkale Society Center, and the women attending the Public Service Group Project for Supporting Housewomen.

The Association was established with the aim of supporting women intellectually, socially, culturally, economically, enabling women to feel worthy, to deal with the various problems they are faced with, and to actively participate in life. The Association is in close relations with the other women's groups in the country. (NK/EO/EA/NM)

* Canakkale Women's Center: Cevatpasa District, Celal Atik Street, Kent

Apartment. No: 2 Telephone: 0 286 217 06 03 (OG)