For one week in Samsun, handmade work became more than craft. It became visibility for women producers, solidarity in the community and support for the education of female students.
The 2nd Republic Women’s Handicrafts Market, organised by Samsun Kızılırmak Rotary Club, was held from 3 to 9 August 2026 at Türk-İş Beach. The initiative brought together women’s labour, local creativity and community support under one shared purpose: to help women show and sell their handmade products while contributing to scholarships for female students.
Throughout the market, visitors had the opportunity to see and purchase a wide range of products created by women — knitted and embroidered items, natural products, jewellery, accessories and decorative handicrafts. For the women producers, the market offered direct contact with the public and a space where their skills, time and creativity could be recognised.
The project was organised under the leadership of Samsun Kızılırmak Rotary Club President İmran Kılıç, together with Rotarians Banu Topuz Sezgin and Güliz Yeşildal. The event was realised with the contributions of Samsun Metropolitan Municipality and Atakum Municipality.
The impact of the initiative was both social and educational. The proceeds from the stalls will be used to support scholarships for female students, creating a meaningful link between women’s work today and young women’s opportunities for tomorrow.
İmran Kılıç underlined that the main aim of the event was to make women’s labour more visible, support their production and strengthen solidarity. She also expressed gratitude to the women producers who took part throughout the week and to the people of Samsun who visited the market.
The Republic Women’s Handicrafts Market shows how a local Rotary initiative can connect several forms of impact at once: women’s economic participation, public recognition of handmade work, community solidarity and education.
It is a simple but powerful model. When women’s work is valued, when the community chooses to support it, and when the result opens educational opportunities for girls, service becomes more than an event. It becomes a shared investment in dignity, confidence and the future.
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