On the occasion of the approaching 8th of March, the Kurdistan Women’s Community (KJK) is calling for the fight against patriarchy and for women’s liberation to be strengthened: “Without the liberation of women, neither democracy nor peace can be achieved.”
The Kurdistan Women’s Community has published a message on the occasion of the upcoming International Women’s Day on March 8, emphasizing the importance of resistance for women’s rights and the implementation of Abdullah Öcalan’s call for “peace and a democratic society”. She calls on all Kurdish women to work for the successful implementation of a peace process for the resolution of the Kurdistan issue and the democratization of Turkey.
Greeting to Abdullah Öcalan
The KJK welcomes March 8 “with great enthusiasm, hope and a spirit of resistance”. It commemorates the women who lost their lives in the fight for freedom and equality and celebrates all women who will fill the streets with courage and love for freedom on their day of struggle. The umbrella organization of the Kurdish women’s movement sends a special greeting to Abdullah Öcalan. As a companion and defender of women’s liberation, he has transformed the spirit of 8th of March into a perspective that is lived daily. The KJK supports the call for peace by the founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and emphasizes the historical role of women as pioneers in this process.
Fight against patriarchal structures
In its declaration, the KJK emphasizes the need to overcome the “patriarchal culture” that enslaves and oppresses women. It condemns the violence and oppression faced by women worldwide and emphasizes that women continue to pay a high price for fighting for their rights. At the same time, the KJK affirms that the women’s liberation movement plays a key role in creating a free and equal society. “Women all over the world who proclaim the philosophy of “Jin Jiyan Azadî” (Women, Life, Freedom) are changing the world” – is the motto here.
The KJK highlights the women’s revolution in Rojava as a role model for a democratic and gender-equitable society. “It inspires the world and shows that an alternative to capitalist modernity is possible.” The model practised there, in which gender liberation is seen as a necessary basis for all processes of change and patriarchal rule as a destructive and unjust structure, serves as an example of a free and self-responsible society not only for Syria, but for the entire Middle East and beyond.
The KJK calls on women worldwide to unite and fight together against patriarchal oppression, war and violence. It emphasizes that the liberation of women is a prerequisite for peace, democracy and social justice. In this context, the KJK also speaks of a male-dominated “culture of war” that primarily affects women. It emphasizes that the fight for women’s liberation is also a fight against capitalism and stresses: “Without the liberation of women, neither democracy nor peace can be achieved.”
Abdullah Öcalan must be free
With this in mind, the KJK emphasizes that the implementation of Öcalan’s call for peace and democracy requires the release of the 75-year-old, the creation of a legal and political framework and the participation of all social groups. The unilateral ceasefire declared by the PKK is an important step in this process. “The PKK, which has been fighting for the freedom of women and peoples for half a century, has developed into a universal movement beyond its geographical borders. It will continue its struggle to build a democratic society on a different level,” it said.
Realizing the shared vision
The message ends with an appeal from the KJK to all women to join the struggle for freedom, equality and peace and to realize the vision of a democratic and just society: “Let us make every day Women’s Day by building a democratic society and strengthening the struggle against patriarchal oppression. The unity of women’s movements worldwide will pave the way for a liberated society. We call for the 8th of March to be celebrated as a day of rebellion, resistance and solidarity.”
Originally published on ANF Deutsch on 4 March 2025.
