In the province of Van, women carry out seasonal highland farming under the most adverse conditions. In the Bahçesaray district, which is jokingly referred to as the “ninth planet” by its inhabitants due to its remoteness, many women spend up to four months a year on the highlands—mostly on the backs of mules, due to the lack of passable roads.
The work of the Bêrîvan—milking the sheep every day, processing the milk into cheese, and bringing the products back to the village—often remains invisible, even though it is essential for the economic survival of many families. Women from the village of Arinc, for example, spend around two hours every day traveling by mule or on foot to tend to their animals.
No income – just survival
“We work because we have to survive. There is no other work here,” said Kıymet Çağırcı, who has been doing this job for 20 years. “Our children stay home alone, and when we come back, we continue with the housework.” The season begins in May and ends in late September. During this time, the women produce most of the food for the winter.
The condition of the roads makes the work even more difficult. After every winter, the unpaved paths are damaged by snow and rain, and are not repaired. The women cannot afford vehicles because fuel is too expensive. Many are forced to carry milk and cheese on foot on the way back, while the mules carry the load.
Risk of falling, isolation, and lack of recognition
The physical strain is high. Accidents happen time and time again, Çağırcı said: “Many women fall off the animals every summer. It’s not a straight path, it goes uphill and downhill. When we go back, we have to walk alongside the mule because it’s carrying the milk.”
Despite their work, many of the women feel unrecognized. They are not asking for support, but for visibility. “No one sees what we do,” said another Bêrîvan. But the reality remains: for many families in the economically neglected mountain regions of Northern Kurdistan, this type of informal work is their only means of livelihood.
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