Coffee JIN is a café in Mardin (Mêrdîn) exclusively staffed by women, with a mission to increase women’s employment and participation in social life. Coffee JIN aims to provide affordable, high-quality coffee, ensuring that all citizens, especially women, have access to an inclusive and economical space. Located in the historic Artuklu district near Mardin Museum, the café offers a welcoming atmosphere for women across the city and is open daily from 9am to 9pm.
Mardin’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party-led metropolitan municipality launched “Coffee JIN” as a municipal project to promote women’s participation in public life. “Just like our ‘people’s restaurants’, we aim to offer high-quality services at prices that suit everyone’s budget. Coffee JIN will be a valuable asset to the women of Mardin, as well as to visitors from across the country.”
Mardin has been governed by co-mayors Devrim Demir and Ahmet Türk (DEM) since March 2024, however on Monday 4 November, co-mayor Ahmet Türk was removed from office along with democratically elected mayors of two other municipalities of North Kurdistan and replaced with a state trustee. The province has been under state administration almost continuously since 2016, and all measures for gender equality were stopped during this time. Only after the local elections on 31 March was work to promote women and equal coexistence able to be resumed in DEM-governed cities and municipalities in North Kurdistan.
