Ordulu Women Generated 5.7 Million TL in Sales at the El Emeği Çarşısı

The El Emeği Çarşısı, established by the Ordu Büyükşehir Belediyesi to enable women to participate more actively in social life, continues to be a significant economic turning point for women in the region. Operating in the Altınordu and Ünye districts, these bazaars allow women to directly convert their productions into economic value. Implemented with the support of the municipality, this project also makes substantial contributions to family budgets. Women can display and sell their handmade products here to strengthen their household economies. Thus, their productivity increases, and they experience the pride of earning their own income. The project has quickly garnered significant interest, becoming an indispensable attraction center for local women.

One of the greatest advantages provided by the municipality is that no fees or rent are charged from the women selling at the bazaar. This supportive approach completely eliminates logistical issues such as setting up stalls and stand expenses. Consequently, women can use the entirety of their income for their own household economies. This visionary step by the municipality not only promotes local production but also seriously supports female entrepreneurship. The success of this model has the potential to serve as an example for other regions. This voluntary participation and support mechanism in the bazaar has established a secure bridge of trade between producers and consumers.

Since its opening day, the El Emeği Çarşısı has been visited by 84 bin 805 people, achieving a remarkably high participation rate. This impressive number of visitors clearly demonstrates the public's interest in handmade products and local production. Exhibiting their products periodically on a rotational basis, the Ordulu women have managed to achieve a massive sales volume of 5 milyon 769 bin 634 TL so far. This figure proves that the project is not merely a social activity but also carries a serious commercial potential that revitalizes the local economy. To date, 3 bin 365 women have actively used this bazaar, directly increasing their families' income levels. This success is the most concrete proof of how much labor and support can yield significant results.

The intense public interest in this bazaar is directly related to the value the local people place on traditional handicrafts. Consumers looking for trousseau and gift items can easily access unique and diverse products at highly affordable prices. The bazaar offers a wide range of items, from wire-broken saloon sets to etamine and Anglet lace embroidery products. Additionally, needlework headscarves, bedspreads prepared with the 'kırkpare' and patchwork techniques, and handmade bags are among the most popular products. This diversity has the capacity to meet the needs of buyers from all walks of life and tastes. The appreciation of unique designs and the value of handcrafting encourages the female sellers to produce more creative products every day.

The diversity of the products displayed at the bazaar is so rich and colorful that it resembles a small handicrafts museum. Products with high aesthetic value, such as crochet lace living room sets, stone painting art, dry brush paintings, and three-dimensional reliefs, take their places on the shelves. Needle and crochet work scrubbers, canvas prayer rugs, duvet cover sets, and amigurumi toys, which have been a popular trend in recent years, also receive great appreciation from visitors. Each of these products blends Turkish traditional motifs with a modern lifestyle, bringing them into homes and daily life. By purchasing products here, visitors are essentially providing direct support to a woman's labor, vision, and her family's future. This visionary project by the Ordu Büyükşehir Belediyesi uniquely supports both the transfer of cultural heritage to future generations and women's attainment of economic independence.