The Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work – FSWW – was founded as a non­profit civil society organization in 1986 to support improving the quality of life and economic situation of low-income women and strengthen their leadership in local development. Believing in the expertise of low-­income women to combat poverty and their power to advance their families and societies, FSWW works with them in a spirit of partnership, develops all of their projects in synergy with them and their surroundings and cooperates with other actors in the community and local government.

Activity areas

The foundation works in low-income neighborhoods of Istanbul, regions affected by the earthquakes, as well as in various cities in all around Turkey as mainly Aegean and Southeastern Anatolia. Additionally, to extend its reach, FSWW provides training, consultancy and monitoring upon request to municipalities, civil society institutions, development projects and women’s groups all over Turkey that want to add these programs to their services.

Co-operation with other institutions and organizations

To spread the effects of its work through development of an appropriate environment, have mutual exchange about experiences and raise funds for women’s initiative, KEDV cooperates and is in dialogue with public and civil society institutions in related fields. To this end, it is creating the conditions for cooperation with local governments, public institutions as local level, relevant Ministries as well as various civil society organizations and works with companies such as Citibank, Carrefour, Estore, Microsoft and their volunteers in the framework of corporate social responsibility.

International communication

FSWW participates in the regional and global meetings of international institutions such as the UN and World Bank and observes the decision-making process through its’ international communications networks (Groots International, Women’s Learning Partnership ve Huariou Commission). It exchanges experience with similar women’s organizations working with impoverished women in countries such as India, Kenya, the US, the Netherlands and Germany.

Working principles

• - Recognizes the grassroots women’s expertise and their power in struggling with poverty and building their lives and their communities, and their rights to define and solve their problems.
• - Respects grassroots women’s own values and avoids alienating them from themselves and their communities.
• - Believes that equal participation of women in social, economic and political decision making process can only be realized at community and local level, seeks cooperation of local governments and other actors in the society.
• - Works with grassroots women groups in solidarity as equal partners and its programs are rooted in synergy of women.