While work continues on the “women-friendly cities” and “women's city” projects frequently discussed by local administrations, the village of Jinwar, established for women and children in Rojava, sets an example to the world with its women's liberation and communal structure.
Munîra Abwbakir and Şîna Alî, who stated that women's unity is essential against the prevailing patriarchal mentality in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, said, “There is a need for a common voice in solving problems.”
Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) member Sebahat Tuncel stated that what distinguishes the Kurdish women’s movement is its claim to a new life that has developed along the line of women’s liberation, saying, “Here, there is a different promise of freedom and an invitation to freedom for women. What is exciting is this.”
In Afghanistan, women are refusing to abandon resistance, developing new methods of struggle against Taliban rule. Pashtana Durrani said: “The agenda is simple: we need to be our own saviors. We must make our own decisions—not the men around us, not the global community, not international organizations.”
Foza Yûsif, a member of the Co-Presidency Council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), who says they have carried out a revolution within a revolution in the Middle East, stated: “As women of the world, we need to build large-scale organisation. There must be a system that operates with a women’s perspective globally.”
Over the 23 years of Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule, at least 8 thousand 33 women have been killed, while one thousand 381 women died under suspicious circumstances, according to rights groups. Ayşe Minaz of the Wan (Van) Women’s Platform said: “The AKP has overseen a period of femicide.”
Members of the Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) described the Peace and Democratic Society Process as a promising development for Kurds and other peoples, emphasizing that women have played, and will continue to play, a leading role in shaping it.
TJA has kicked off its 25 November actions and events. In statements made, it was emphasised that “We will be in the fields, streets, and every area of life until we establish an equal, free, and peaceful life.”
Coming together to support the process, Dersim (Tunceli) Odjak’s women stated, “With all our faith, we strive to take responsibility to end the tears of mothers.”
Over the past two years, 28 women have died under suspicious circumstances in Wan (Van). Felek Babur of the Free Women’s Movement (Tevgere Jinên Azad-TJA), stating that these suspicious deaths stem from a policy of impunity, said, “Behind every suspicious death lies the family and men.”
Journalist-writer Huseyin Aykol, who was intubated after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage, will continue to be kept under anaesthesia due to high blood pressure.
Wan (Van) Bar Association Chair Sinan Ozaraz said that the complaints they filed against the dormitory and the university regarding the death of Rojin Kabais will be investigated separately from the main case.
Students at Van Yuzuncu Yil University (YYU) have entered the fifth day of their protest for the suspicious death of their classmate Rojin Kabais. The students asked: “Why is there footage of the student who found Rojin’s phone, but not of the person who left it there?”
Kongra Star Jazire Coordination announced that women wrote one thousand 800 letters to Abdullah Öcalan as part of the campaign they launched.
Women’s organizations in Wan have launched a campaign titled “We organize to live and let live” to defend women’s rights and shed light on suspicious deaths of women. “We are fighting to be a voice and a breath for women,” said Meryema Aslan, director of the Star Women’s Association, one of the campaign organizers.