Sehra’s Journey: Women’s Counseling Center

Sehra’s Journey: Women’s Counseling Center

Since 2019, the Women’s Counseling Center has been working to support Turkish and refugee women in accessing basic rights and services. Women are provided with education, health, legal support and counseling on basic needs. Upon their request, they are accompanied in their official procedures, provided with translation support and individual psychological support.

In this context, Sehra, a Turkmen national from Turkmenistan, who had not been able to access basic services for a long time because she did not have a residence permit, applied to our center with her two children to receive support. Together, we planned the steps required for Sehra to apply for a residence permit, provided legal support, and carried out procedures such as document preparation and petition writing together. We accompanied her to official institutions and provided individual psychological support to Sehra and her children. After months of efforts, Sehra obtained a humanitarian residence permit and a legal status in Turkey.

What Fundamental Rights will Sehra have with a Humanitarian Residence Permit?

• She can stay in Turkey legally, protected from the risks she may face if she returns to her home country.
• Thanks to the residence permit, she can now officially apply for work and take advantage of job opportunities.
• Access to basic health services and meet their health needs.
• She can apply for social and economic support from Social Service Centers, municipalities and other institutions and organizations that provide support.
• Sehra’s children can also enroll in school so that they can benefit from Turkey’s education system.
• She also has basic legal rights, such as the right to apply to the court and benefit from legal aid in case of a legal problem.

“For a long time I did not feel safe because I did not have a residence permit. I was abused in the workplace in terms of wages and working hours. When I and my children got sick, we could not use hospital services. I could not send my children to school. The helplessness of not being able to do anything for their future was what hurt me the most. Now, after a long struggle, having a legal status has given me and my children the opportunity to rebuild our lives. Now my children will be able to go to school, we will be able to access health services and we will be able to take a step towards standing on our own feet. I would like to thank the Women’s Counseling Center team for supporting me and my children during this difficult process.”

Sehra

** The Women’s Counseling Center and Mentoring Project is supported by the “Development of Community Based Social Services for Refugees and Host Communities (CLIP 2)” implemented by the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ).