Our Women

 

 

Penoora's currently has 25 women working in production. While our biggest group of knitters are located in the city of Konya in Central Anatolia, we also have women in Istanbul, Samsun, Hatay, and Antalya.

Our women come from very different backgrounds: Some are retired professionals, some are widows, some are caregivers to sick relatives and some have never been a part of the workforce before. Common for all, is that they have a desire to join the workforce by staying productive in an environment that allows them creative freedom and the liberty to decide how much, how long and how often they knit. This way, we are able to ensure that all our products have been made not by obligation, but by own, individual free will and dedication. 

All women at Penoora's have gone through a meticulous selection process and use only certified yarn provided by HQ. Women are paid about 20% above the average market price for knitting and all local labor and production taxes are paid for by Penoora's. They are also free to leave Penoora's when they wish or to go on longer personal leaves when they have other commitments. It is imperative that our women are with us because they want to. 

 

 

Penoora's is not a charity organization. Our main focus is not to generate an income for our women, but to help build self-confidence through productivity, creativity and good work ethics. All our women are free to pursue their own business aspirations with the techniques and know-how they learn while working for us. We fully encourage and support all women who wish to pursue their own careers and provide guidance and technical assistance to those who seek consultation.

When you buy a product from Penoora's, you can rest assured that your product has been made under sheer ethical circumstances. In Turkey, women’s employment rate has remained evidently low (32.5% paid female workers). Turkey also has the lowest maternal employment when compared to other OECD countries; 86% of mothers undertake the responsibility of daycare of children aged 0-5 compared to 0% among fathers (Mert, A.) This disparity is evident in almost every layer of the Turkish social sphere, domestically as well as publically. This is why we believe our work here at Penoora's goes far beyond producing high-quality garments: We believe we carry a social responsibility for women empowerment in Turkey and will continue working towards our objective with pride, perseverance and hard work.

 

Thank you for your support,

Ayse Soylu
Penoora's