Women’s Perspective on Organization and the Alternative Means of Income in Agriculture in Thrace Region Turkey

Abstract

This study was conducted in Thrace Region, which is a significant agricultural area in Turkey. The alternative means of income were determined and 477 women, consisting of 94 self-employed women and 383 women working together with their families, were surveyed and their perspectives on alternative means of income and organization were analyzed. It is ascertained at the end of this study that women do not consider farming as an occupation, even though they work in agricultural sector together with their spouses, that many of them own small scale enterprises, that they are afraid of taking risks, and that they want to receive grants rather than loans. Women’s contribution to labor force is more like unwaged employment in family-run businesses, but there are also considerable number of self-employed women in this region. The research show that 81% of women stated that there were not any projects regarding alternative means of income in this region. When women were asked to list the alternative income activities according to their significance levels, 70% gave prominence to organic farming. In terms of their perspective on organization, 89% of women stated that they had never participated in any collaborative works in their villages, 53% of women, however, stated that they would have been willing to play an active role if they ever got the opportunity.