Zeynep Yıldırım started to become involved in children’s theatre 10 years ago with her husband, Ömer Faruk Yıldırım. They established a small company and theatre but unfortunately had to close them down during the pandemic. They decided to give it another go after the pandemic, and reopened a small company and the Aydın Children’s Theatre. Currently, they offer theatre classes in Didim and perform all over Türkiye.

“‘Papa Smurf and the Butterfly Hunter’ and ‘The Forest Fairy’ are two of the plays they have put on. They prefer interactive plays. There is a lot of excitement for the children when they take part in the play. They are very happy to be on stage.

EUROPEAN UNION, 2024

Arife with children at the stage

“We love communicating with and learning from children. Theatre is not just about the stage; there is a lot of work behind the scenes,” she says.

They did not employ any staff member in the past because it was too expensive for a small theatre to keep even one employee on the payroll, that is, until they came across the WOMEN-UP project., that is, until they came across the WOMEN-UP project.

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Zeynep Yıldırım (front) and team

Zeynep heard about WOMEN-UP from a friend and immediately thought of Arife Palamut, one of the theatre’s trainees. Palamut is disciplined, responsible, and can take the initiative when necessary.  

Performing for children

Arife reflects: “I worked in the private sector for many years. I quit my job when my child got sick. Then, I started taking different courses, and theatre was one of them. I was very excited when my trainer, Zeynep, asked me if I wanted to work with them. At first, I was a bit hesitant because it was a completely new field. But the children’s energy invigorated me, and my confidence grew as I went on stage.”

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Arife Palamut

In addition to her acting, Arife is deeply involved in every aspect of theatre production; sometimes, she sets the stage and occasionally participates in directing. She is deeply passionate about her job. “Theatre has opened up a whole new area of my life, and WOMEN-UP has allowed me to be a part of that world,” she says. 

Both women are satisfied with the project and with the work they have accomplished together, and plan to continue working together after the project ends.

Zeynep believes that “small businesses like ours need a lot of support. That is why WOMEN-UP is such an important project. Our workload has decreased, and our efficiency has improved significantly since we started working with Arife. I hope there will be more projects like WOMEN-UP that support women.” 

Supporting both employer and employee

The Social Security Institution (SGK) carries out the Supporting Registered Women Employment Project (WOMEN-UP), which is co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Türkiye. The project covers the salary of a female staff member up to the net amount of the minimum wage for 25 months. Employers apply with the information of the female worker they wish to employ.

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Alev Şahin, the social security expert from SGK

Alev Şahin, the social security expert from SGK, states: “With this project, we provide grant support to female employers for their newly employed female workers. The project started in March 2022. So far, we have provided support to 594 employers and 873 workers in Aydın. Our institution places significant emphasis on women’s empowerment in every sector.” 

The Head of the European Union Delegation to Türkiye, Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, says: “Empowering women isn’t just about gender equality; it’s about building stronger societies, fostering peace, and driving economic growth. For years, the EU has supported female entrepreneurs and employees in Türkiye through various projects. Together, we help to create conditions for women to realise their potential. We have had the pleasure of being a partner in many success stories, and now, with WOMEN-UP, we are witnessing new ones.” 

Covering seven provinces

The WOMEN-UP Project, co-financed by EU with €25 million, aims to support 4,000 employed women and 4,000 women entrepreneurs in the provinces of Ankara, Istanbul, Samsun, Aydın, Denizli, Şanlıurfa, and Kahramanmaraş.

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