Turkish women on strike
In 1978, the photographer Bertien van Manen captured the lives of female immigrant workers.
Among other things, she photographed the first ever strike of Turkish women in the Netherlands at a chicken factory in Almelo.
The working conditions of the employees were extremely poor. The women had to work 80 hours per week, were severely underpaid and underwent serious physical discomforts because they had to process the sizzling hot chicken meat with their bare hands.
This lively young woman looks excitedly towards the camera. The picture challenges the current stereotype of women with a headscarf.
However, this photograph does more: it reminds us of a forgotten past. The first generation Turkish women worked to make a living.
Source: Image Archive IAV
