We brought together small-scale fishers from the Akyaka, Cumalı, Mordoğan, Karaköy, Dalaman, Akbük, and Söğüt Fisheries Cooperatives for a Financial Literacy Training held in Marmaris.
The primary target group of the training was women—whose visibility within the fisheries sector is often limited. For many years, we have been working to strengthen their role in financial decision-making processes and to make their contributions to the sector more visible.
The training, attended by women in fisheries and their families from different coastal regions, as well as representatives from public institutions, offered an intensive and productive day of learning. The program, developed by Agricultural Economist İpek Topuzoğlu, focused on financial management, credit mechanisms, record-keeping practices, cooperative structures, and available support programs. Throughout the day, we shared knowledge, exchanged experiences, and reflected together.
We see cooperatives as one of the most effective tools for addressing the challenges facing fisheries, protecting fish stocks, and strengthening small-scale fishing communities. We continue to work to ensure the continuation of this declining profession and to help local communities secure their livelihoods through sustainable fisheries.
Through this training, we are working together toward a stronger, fairer, and more resilient future for all women who live by the sea, work on the sea, and produce from the sea—alongside their families.