The issues of educational needs and provision were explored by working with a group of Syrian refugee women in Mardin

Recruitment: The issues of educational needs and provision were explored by working with a group of Syrian refugee women in Mardin State. This state was chosen for its easy access and because it is located in southern Turkey, where the largest number of Syrian refugees are concentrated. The Turkish government has also opened a department for teaching in the Arabic language at Mardin University. The sample was recruited by sending emails with information sheets, and consent sheets through contacts within Mardin State. Potential participants were asked to contact us if they were interested in taking part in the study. Demographics of sample: The sample was composed of 24 interviewees with a mean age 27. 66 years (standard deviation 7. 34 years). The ethnicity of the women comprised 17 Arabs, six Kurds and one Turkmen. The geographical distribution of the Syrian cities from which the research sample is displaced from is presented in Fig. 2. It is evident that there is a widespread geographically within Syria, and the main geographic centers and cultures are represented within the sample. The average time since displacement from city of origin was 6. 5 years (range 2– 9 years). In terms of previous employment before displacement/asylum, and their current work, most of the sample members had not worked in the past and reported that this was the result of Syrian culture that did not focus on women’s work opportunities, emphasising instead their role within the family. As for working in countries of asylum/safety, most of the sample members were currently studying in Turkish universities, meaning that they had acquiesced to their new influences of culture.