In the village whose population is 585, women own almost all the businesses: the grocery store, the market, the coffeehouse and the cafeteria are all operated by women. Female entrepreneurs who have put men's noses out of joint are now training their daughters and daughters-in-law to take their place in the future. The village women's economic ascendance dates back some 30 years: although there were more than frequent quarrels in the coffeehouses run by the men, there was no tension in the one bistro that was run by a woman at the time. This provided incentive for the other women in the village to be successful and soon the coffeehouses and the marketplaces gradually passed into the hands of the village's women.
Senior management of the village
Gülsüm Sağ, 71, the eldest business manager in the village, has been operating a coffeehouse for 40 years. In the early years she and her husband ran the coffeehouse located on the ancient Knidos Road together, Sağ said. "After my husband fell ill, I took the helm of the business. I brought up my two children. I have four grandchildren. My husband has retired but I continue working. As long as my health allows, I would like to continue working."
Pocket money to husband
The owner of the Knidos Baba Grocery Store just across from Sağ's coffeehouse is also a woman. The husband of 42-year-old Selda Topuz, who is married with two children, works at the branch office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Topuz, whose two children are at school, said the women in the area were very successful. "My husband is a state officer and I am a shopkeeper. I have been running this grocery store for 10 years. Here, most private businesses belong to women. The men work in the fields or take up some other business." The couple do not have any money problems as her husband has a fixed income and the shop does quite well for itself, Topuz said. "There is no disagreement between me and my husband. When his salary is finished up, I give him pocket money. When I buy cigarettes and alcohol for the store, I use his salary."
Daughter to become an engineer
Ayşe Akdeniz, 41, owner of the Akdeniz Grocery Store in the same neighborhood, not only works but is also putting her two daughters through school and university. Her 22-year-old daughter Sedef is studying food engineering at Pamukkale University while 17-year-old Selen is a student at Manisa Soma Anatolian High School. "I have been running this grocery store for three years. I love doing this job. We have almond trees. My husband works in the field. The safe is in my control both at home and in the store. My husband is a very understanding person. We have not had any problems yet," Akdeniz said.
Businesswoman and student at the same time
The owner of the only market in the Belen neighborhood, some 3 kilometers from the village, is also a woman. Nesibe Denizhan, 27, who is married and has one child, said she got into business after she married and moved to the village. Denizhan could not pursue university education because of the financial status of her family, she said. "I am a graduate of a tourism high school. Even though I very much wanted to I could not go to university. After I got married, my husband supported me. Now I am a health administration student in the Anadolu University open education program. I have also become a businesswoman. I opened the only market in Belen. I love trade and earning money. I think I am a good shopkeeper. Everything is going well at the moment.
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