Syrian women exploitation in Turkey: ‘I neva chop meat for months but I no go sell my body’ – BBC News Pidgin

Tulane, wey be single mother of six pikin, dey determined say she no go return to Syria, despite say she dey suffer from sexual and economic exploitation.

She bin dey work as teacher for Syria but she don dey work as cook for Turkey, wia she dey earn 6,000 Turkish lira ($220) evri month. Di money na just half di minimum wage, wey be $420 per month.

Tulane wey be 42-years-old, no be her real name, tok say her husband no fit cope wit di working conditions for refugees. E return go Syria two years ago, as im leave her wit dia children.

Dat na wen her life become more complicated, she tok.

Men dey approach to offer her help or job, but afta dem find out say she be single mother, dem go dey “propose” to her or her teenage daughters.

“Di boss don grab my hand bifor, I push am comot and run away. Dem tink say we dey sell our body for food or money. I neva chop meat for months, but I no fit sell my bodi,” she tok.

Tulane husband don marry again for Syria and dey live a separate life.

“If I return to Syria, e go affect my children education. I dey fight hunger, harassment and xenophobia here but I no fit go back,” she tok.

Turkey dey host more dan 3.3 million Syrians, na di country wit di biggest refugee population in di world.

Syrians dey work for textile, agriculture, catering or construction wia unregistered employment still dey common.

Nearly one million Syrian refugees dey work without permit.

Dis mean say dem no get access to social security and dem dey collect below di minimum wage.

According to Turkish labour law, if employer wan employ foreigner, dem go need to pay three times di minimum wage.

Dis na why many employers choose not to issue work permits – so dem go fit pay refugees less.

Official goment figure show say na only 5,000 Syrian women for Turkey get work permits.

And wit inflation at 56% and as di kontri dey endure major cost of living crisis, Syrian women tok say dem dey endure sexual harassment to hold onto dia jobs.

Lamya carry me go up di stairs into di old building wia she dey live. Na di smell of soak-away first hit us.

Di single mother of five, tell me say dem no get choice but na to move here as thief dey disturb am for her former flat all di time, and known locally as “di house without men”.

“I no fit sleep for night becos I dey watch my children. I dey fear and na why I commot,” di 38-year-old mother tok.

Lamya – wey no be her real name – tok say she don face constant sexual harassment for work.

“Wen you be divorce single woman, all eyes go dey on you. Dem go dey follow you constantly.

“Being a widow at work dey magnet men. Most men dey approach me first wit di intention of offering help or a job, but later dem go dey tell me wetin dem really want from me.

“I don learn not to tell pipo for work say I no get husband. Bifor one boss wey find out say my husband don commot, start to dey follow me and e dey call me constantly. I don leave dat job.”

For anoda house wey dey nearby, two single Syrian mothers wey dey live together to split di costs.

Rana dey work for textile workshop without permit and dey earn below di minimum wage. Yousra wey be stay at home mother and she dey take care of dia four children and her elderly mama.

Dem tok say dem don face harassment and xenophobia for workplace and di wider community, as well as di social stigma of being single mothers.

Dem enta Turkey wit high hopes, Rana tok say she no longer see future for her children here anymore.

“Evei penny we bin dey earn dey go on rent and bills. We dey hungry all di time and on top of dat, everyone for street hate us,” she tok.

Lamya also complain about social exclusion although she don already spend over 10 years for Turkey.

“Once we siddon on top one bench, and out of nowhere two Turkish women come and start to dey shout for us. ‘Wen una go return to Syria,’ dem dey shout. I feel like say na electric shock my body,” she tok.

“Our only dream na to go Europe. I don dey tink about dis day and night.”