On April 17, 2021, The Women’s Committee in Afrin Region opened an all-women restaurant named “Jiyan” (Life) for to provide financial support for women of Afrin who were forcibly displaced to Shehba due to the attacks and invasion by Turkey.
Three women work in the Jiyan Restaurant from 8 am to 4 pm, serving a large variety of local dishes. These women are preserving the culture of Afrin with their meals. It is not clear yet whether this restaurant will be run as a co-operative.
All employees of the restaurant are displaced women cooking traditional foods. The aim of these projects is to promote women’s economic empowerment.
Suzan Qasim is an employee of the Jiyan Restaurant. “I have to work to meet the needs of my children,” she said, “I leave my children at home and come here to work every day. At the restaurant, we cook and serve cheaper traditional food.”
