Access to child care is a critical, yet often overlooked community need in Sivas, Turkey. Due to economic instability and deeply-rooted gender roles, women are expected to serve as primary caregivers, even while working. This field note examines how the lack of affordable, institutionalized child care impacts women, families and the broader community.
A community need that I frequently encounter in Sivas is access to affordable and reliable child care. Within Turkish society, as in many others, women are generally expected to be the primary caregivers for children. Although Turkey has several socialized institutions, such as higher education and health care, child care has not yet been fully socialized or universally supported by the state. As a result, the responsibility of caring for children often falls almost entirely on women. This issue is further intensified by Turkey’s current economic conditions. Extreme inflation has made basic goods and services increasingly unaffordable for much of the population, turning child care into a luxury that many families simply cannot afford. For many women, the lack of accessible child care limits their ability to work, pursue education or maintain stable employment, reinforcing economic dependence and gender inequality.
