NEWS CENTRE - Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's statement "The Call for Peace and Democratic Society is also a Renaissance for women” in his 8 March message forms the basis of how Kurdish women's freedom struggle has developed and how it will develop from now on.  

 

The effects of the message sent by Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan to women on 8 March International Women's Day continue. The pioneering role of women in the socialisation of women in the historical process, the violence of the male-dominated system against women, and his drawing attention to the struggle of women against the attempt to ignore women are discussed. The Kurdish People's Leader's statement "The Call for Peace and Democratic Society is also a Renaissance for women” shows what kind of a society women's freedom will be realised in and what the women's struggle should do from now on. 

 

We will discuss some of the main points regarding the meaning of this statement. 

 

Throughout history, wars, conflicts and authoritarian regimes have victimised women the most. Women have been subjected to both physical and psychological violence and have been deprived of economic and social security due to the collapse of social structures. But the establishment of peace and a democratic social order means not only a relief for women, but also a renaissance.

 

The role of women in peace

 

 

Women's participation in peace processes is a key factor in the transformation of society. The inclusion of women in decision-making mechanisms makes peace processes more inclusive and fair. Contrary to the male-dominated war discourse, the presence of women in peace processes supports the development of social reconciliation and a culture of dialogue.

 

Democracy and women's rights

 

A democratic society requires a structure in which women have equal rights. Women's active role in economic, social and political life can only be possible in an environment where democratic values take root. The legal guarantees provided by democracy ensure women's emancipation in a wide range of areas, from education to employment, from the right to vote and be elected to protection from domestic violence.

 

Times of progress

 

 

Historical processes have shown that the periods when women's rights have made the most progress have developed simultaneously with democratic development. Women's achievement of the right to vote and be elected, the results of their struggle for equality in education and business life, and the implementation of policies for gender equality have all developed in parallel with democracy.

 

Social transformation

 

Women's movements play an important role in the defence of peace and democracy. Feminist struggles not only defend women's rights but also contribute to the establishment of social justice. In the early 20th century, women's movements in Europe and America were a driving force for democratic development. Similarly, women's struggle for rights in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia has contributed significantly to social peace and democratic transformation processes. 

 

New opportunities

 

Peace processes do not only lead to the silencing of arms; they also offer new opportunities for women. In societies where conflicts end and the rule of law prevails, women's access to education increases, their participation in working life becomes easier and they become more visible on the political scene.

 

Democratic social order

 

 

Peace and democratic social order is not only a process of emancipation for women, but also a Renaissance. Women's more active role in politics, economy, education and social life brings about a major transformation at both individual and social levels. The inclusion of women in peace processes and equipping them with the freedoms provided by democracy will lead to a more just and sustainable future not only for women but also for the whole society. Therefore, defending peace and democracy also means defending women's rights and social equality.

 

Women's Renaissance....

 

Women's movements in general have been an important part of social changes throughout history, and feminist theories and practices have been reshaped in different parts of the world, especially since the late 20th century. However, the Kurdish women's movement has developed the framework of a line that collectivises and socialises freedom, not as a branch of feminism.  

 

While the ‘women's renaissance’ is being discussed today, the Kurdish women's movement's contribution to this process is also important. While the women's renaissance refers to the positioning of women as a reshaped and empowered actor in all areas of life, Kurdish women see this process as a line of struggle against both the male-dominated system and mentality and the oppression they face as a nation. 

 

A wide spectrum

 

 

The Kurdish women's movement has a tradition of resistance that is too wide-ranging to be framed by limited feminist definitions. Kurdish women have historically faced both male-dominated structures and political oppression, and have adopted these two struggles as practices of resistance that feed each other rather than separating them.

 

Paradigm of social emancipation

 

The Kurdish women's movement, which has come into being through armed struggle and social movement especially since the 1990s, has developed a new paradigm not only as an identity movement, but also for social equality and women's emancipation. Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's emphasis on ‘Jineology’, i.e. the science of women, has taken the struggle of Kurdish women to a different point from the Western-centred understanding of feminism, and transformed it into a paradigm of social emancipation. In other words, instead of focusing on individual freedoms, the Kurdish women's movement puts collective solidarity and organised resistance at its centre. In essence, this not only changes the social roles of women, but also proposes an alternative political system.

 

From being a proposition, it has become a practical model

 

However, this has not only been a suggestion, but has turned into a model that has been put into practice in life. The women's revolution in Rojava shows how Kurdish women have turned the right to self-determination into a concrete reality. Structures such as ‘women's assemblies’, ‘women's cooperatives’ and ‘women's defence units’ developed against male-dominated structures prove that the process is not only a theoretical but also a practical transformation.

 

 

An inspiring model

 

The women's renaissance means that women all over the world are gaining more and more influence and the power to determine their own rights. However, it would be incomplete to analyse this process from a single perspective. The Kurdish women's movement is paving a unique path by combining both feminist and national identity struggles. This offers an inspiring model for women's movements not only in the Middle East but also in other parts of the world. In essence, the women's renaissance is not only a resistance against the male-dominated system, but also a process of building a new social order. The statement ‘The Call for Peace and Democratic Society is also a Renaissance for women’ is an expression of this and points to its further development.