Kadin Magazine – a Turkish community media innovation in the Netherlands

Kadin Magazine, a bilingual publication with articles in Dutch and Turkish, was launched in the Netherlands as a multicultural media initiative in April 2008, with a monthly circulation of 12,000.

Kadin, which means woman in Turkish, is written for and by Turkish women between the ages of 16 and 60 who live in the Netherlands and support the publication’s upbeat message on the benefits of diversity to Dutch society.

''”We want to inform Turkish women of the possibilities Dutch society has to offer them,'' says chief editor Ebubekir Turgut. ''As Turkish women often only read Turkish newspapers and watch Turkish television, they have a limited knowledge of news and opinions in their own Dutch society. We want to inform them of the developments in Dutch society that are relevant to them.''

''Successful, modern Turkish women are underrepresented in the Dutch media,'' said Nuray Bossink-Tuna, a journalist for the magazine. ''Older generations are more difficult to reach, but the younger generation of Turkish women are open to change their lifestyle and become more integrated in Dutch community.

''With Kadin Magazine we want to show these women that they can be successful by portraying Turkish women who have achieved great things in their respective fields. Women such as Nebahat Albayrak, the state secretary in the current Dutch cabinet, serve as a role model for all Turkish women.''

Ms Bossink-Tuna emigrated from Turkey to the Netherlands three and a half years ago. Despite 10 years of teaching and a Masters degree in Nutrition Sciences, Nuray still cannot find a suitable job, underlining the difficulties experienced by immigrants in the Netherlands.

''I am not eligible for the same level of work I practised in Turkey,'' Ms Bossink-Tuna revealed. ''I have noticed a certain hesitance when Dutch employers learn I am a Turkish immigrant. This form of discrimination is a big problem for many immigrants in the Netherlands.''