Causes of female poverty in the TRC2 region: A socio-economic study

This research aims to examine the relationship of women with poverty in Turkey's TRC2 region from a socio-economic perspective. Women's poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon. For this purpose, the relationship between the poverty of women living in the central districts of Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır in the TRC2 region and the dynamics of the region has been examined at both theoretical and empirical levels. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. As a data collection tool, the scale developed by Solak and Göregenli (2009) was used. In the quantitative stage, face-to-face surveys were conducted with 301 women selected by simple random sampling in the TRC2 region, and the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS-27 software. A frequency table was created for sociodemographic questions. To observe the differences in group means of the variables, independent samples t-test analysis was used for variables with two groups, and the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis H analysis was applied for variables with three or more groups. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to determine the direction and strength of the relationships between scales. All analyses were conducted at the α = .05 level. In the qualitative stage, through in-depth interviews conducted with 20 women living in the TRC2 region, the individual narratives and experiential dimension of poverty were analyzed in detail. According to the results, structural attributions (M = 3.77) stood out with higher means, while individual attributions (M = 2.54) remained lower. Participants associated women's poverty not only with individual deficiencies but also with structural inequalities. In addition, unemployment and low income were significant: according to the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis analyses, women who declared income at or below the minimum wage showed significantly different poverty perceptions compared to women in higher income groups (p < .05). A negative correlation was found indicating that as the level of education increased, poverty perception decreased (r = –.42, p < .01). As a result, this study considers women's poverty not merely as a problem that can be solved through individual efforts and micro-level social aid, but as a social issue that needs to be addressed through holistic public policies and regional development strategies based on gender equality. The research contributes to the academic literature and includes suggestions that will guide the processes of developing social policies against women's poverty.