Founded in Istanbul in 2018, Open Space Association works to combat deep poverty and support lasting change for individuals and families through direct aid, field research, advocacy, and public awareness. Since launching the Deep Poverty Network, it has supported thousands of households and continues to push for sustainable policy solutions on child, women’s, and elderly poverty, food inflation, and malnutrition.
With support from our Gender Equality Fund, the association is running a project for single mothers experiencing deep poverty in Istanbul: providing 20 mothers with monthly cash support for a year, connecting them to psychological support, legal counselling, childcare, and vocational training, and advocating for systemic change through the data collected along the way.
In this interview, the association shares how the rising cost of living is deepening poverty for single mothers, how gender inequality and poverty intersect, and what their holistic model of support looks like in practice.
How is the economic crisis worsening poverty, and what vulnerabilities are emerging on the ground?
In Türkiye, female poverty stands at 18.9%, and 36.8% of children face poverty or social exclusion. Women spend an average of 4 hours and 35 minutes daily on unpaid domestic and care work, compared to just 53 minutes for men. Among adults aged 25–49 with children under three, employment rates are 26.9% for women versus 90.9% for men. This disproportionate care burden severely restricts women’s workforce participation, making single motherhood a multi-layered, severe form of poverty.
On the ground, the crisis hits hardest in housing and food security. Many families can no longer invest in their children’s education; their priority is simply paying rent or buying basic groceries. This economic hardship also exacerbates domestic and economic violence, as inadequate social protection leaves women trapped in abusive or exploitative situations.
Our projects address these precise realities:
- Utility Bill Support: Preventing children from dropping out of school due to unpaid bills.
- Food Vouchers: Ensuring children have regular school meals.
- Psychological Counselling: Helping single mothers manage overwhelming stress.
- Emergency Solidarity: Providing essential household items like working refrigerators or washing machines to eliminate constant daily stress.
Many families can no longer invest in their children’s education; their priority is simply paying rent or buying basic groceries.
What key needs emerge when working with single mothers in deep poverty, and how do gender inequality and poverty intersect?
Deep poverty combined with gender inequality creates intergenerational hardship. Women struggle single-handedly with housing, nutrition, healthcare, education expenses, and securing regular income. Unpaid care work, precarious employment, lack of social safety nets, and experiences of violence further deepen this cycle.
However, calling these women “vulnerable” overlooks their immense strength. They manage households without a steady income, navigate the healthcare system despite being unable to read or write, and boil tap water when bottled water is unaffordable. When they cannot afford menstrual products, they make do with old clothes and sheets, using cotton and tissues. They are women who constantly find ways to solve the problems they face with the resources and skills they have.
When gender inequality limits women’s access to economic resources, children’s rights to education, nutrition, and development suffer directly. Combating deep poverty requires a holistic, rights-based approach that tackles structural gender inequalities alongside financial hardship.
When gender inequality limits women’s access to economic resources, children’s rights to education, nutrition, and development suffer directly.
Can you tell us about “Against Deep Poverty: You Are Not Alone!” project supported by our Gender Equality Fund?
This project strengthens single mothers who live in deep poverty, rely on precarious daily work, or depend on social assistance due to sole caregiving responsibilities. Beyond meeting basic needs, we focus on expanding access to rights, building social support networks, and fostering autonomy.
We began by conducting deep-dive interviews with 100 households supported by the Deep Poverty Network to identify the 20 single mothers at highest risk. To address immediate needs, we provided monthly digital grocery vouchers worth 4,000 TRY per family.
Alongside this financial aid, we delivered targeted help based on individual needs, including support with rent, utilities, mental health care, legal advice, school scholarships, home appliances, and assistance navigating public services. To ensure a sustained, adaptive support system, we also conducted regular follow-ups, home visits, and emergency interventions alongside our Impact Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist.
How does your holistic support model work in practice?
Financial assistance alone cannot solve deep poverty. Our model pairs direct cash assistance with social service referrals and psychosocial support, as a holistic model of intervention across 16 distinct areas.
- Individual Assessment: We identify specific household risks and map out a tailored action plan.
- Flexible Grocery Vouchers: Regular food codes meet basic needs while restoring women’s autonomy to prioritise their own spending.
- Comprehensive Wrap-Around Services: We address overlapping crises by offering psychological counseling, legal aid, healthcare navigation, educational and nursery support, home repairs, furniture, and emergency relief.
One of the most significant outcomes we’ve seen is that women no longer feel alone. They can express their needs more freely and are beginning to gain greater control over their own lives.
This combined approach provides far more than temporary relief. Throughout the project, one of the most significant outcomes we have observed is that women no longer feel alone; they are able to express their needs more comfortably and are beginning to gain greater control over their own lives, restoring their agency and long-term resilience.
Can you share a story illuminating the impact of your work?
Standing alongside women living in deep poverty shows that sometimes simply making a phone call, listening to them, or searching for solutions together can bring about profound changes in their lives. Zübeyde, a mother of three in Istanbul who left an abusive marriage and works precarious daily jobs, describes the transformation:
One of the most meaningful outcomes has been helping local organisations realise they are not alone. As one participating group shared:
“Before I met you, I had to clean three houses a day. I couldn’t keep up with expenses. Eventually, I got severe chemical poisoning from the cleaning products, but I had no choice because I had no one else to turn to; until you reached out to me. Since then, I can actually spend time with my children. The food support lets me pack their school lunches, and the scholarship allowed my child to join a football course; he developed his talent and started engaging more at school.
You also introduced me to a psychologist. She gave me back my courage and self-confidence. She brought me back to life when I felt non-existent. I existed physically, but mentally I was lost and terrified. Talking to her lit up my path; like turning on a light so you don’t fall into the mud ahead. Now, when I see friends in my neighbourhood experiencing domestic abuse, I encourage them. I tell them, ‘I managed to stand on my own feet, and you can too.’ I want to use the light I found to brighten the path for others.”
