TİKA Support Women's Employment in Palestine

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) set up a soap making workshop at the Cultural Heritage Preservation Women's Association which operates in the Bayt Jala district of Palestine.

The manufacturing equipment, raw materials and packaging required for the soap making workshop at the Bayt Jala Cultural Heritage Preservation Women's Association have been procured by TİKA. On the other hand, 3 people will be employed to work at the workshop as part of the project. The products of the workshop, which has a monthly production capacity of 5,000 units, are purchased by the foreigners who visit the areas.

Soap making is considered to be an important income channel for the local community as a traditional craft which has been improving since the 10th century based in Nablus, West Bank.

Founded 12 years ago by female philanthropists, the Bayt Jala Cultural Heritage Preservation Women's Association carries out projects in areas such as farming, handicraft, bakery and soap making. Thanks to the revenue generated from these areas, the association provides employment opportunities for needy women as well as assuming the costs of the nursing home where 35 senior citizens reside. The foundation also acts as a mediator in introducing the products of approximately a hundred farmer women into the end market.

The economy of Bayt Jala, which is located 10 kilometers south of Jerusalem, is mostly agriculture-based. The district is one of the areas that has been most affected by the walls built in Jerusalem. Since the construction of the wall, the people of the district have been facing difficulties in accessing farming areas, which deeply affects the residents who earn their livelihood from farming.