The KJK (Kurdistan Women’s Communities) Coordination issued a statement to mark 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The statement said: “On 25 November, we commemorate the Mirabel sisters with respect, love, and gratitude. Their resistance gave rise to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. We also commemorate Rosa Luxemburg, Sakine Cansız, Nagihan, Gulistan Tara, Hero Bahaddin, Asya, Seve, Pakize, Fatma, Deniz Poyraz, Evin Guyi, Hevrin Xelef, Zelal Haseke, Pelin, Saliha, Nesrin Amed, Narin Güran, Rojin Kabaiş and many others who lost their lives to male violence.
We promise to honor their joy, struggle, and resistance by building a world of peace based on democracy, ecology, and women’s freedom.”
The statement added: “Violence is a reality organized by male dominance, inflicting severe physical and psychological harm on women across many areas of life at various times. Women in particular face these brutal forms of violence constantly. Especially psychological and emotional violence—embedded in every aspect of daily life—has become increasingly normalized and barely noticed.
Women continue to be victims of this violence, regardless of age, profession, nationality, skin color, or social position. Among them are babies like Sıla, children like Narîn, young women like Rojîn, mothers like Taybet İnan, women like Saliha Akkaş who works in parliament, an 89-year-old Peruvian woman like Arevalo Lomas protecting her forests, a Druze woman like Fevziye El Şerani fighting HTŞ gangs in Syria to defend her village, and many others of different status and from different places. None of these identities protect us from organized violence, harassment, or rape by dominant masculinity.”
The statement continued: “As violence escalates daily in our region, the year 2025 has been one in which wars raged around the world and violence reached a new level. The massacres of Druze and Alawis in Syria, as well as the ongoing war in Gaza, have further intensified the already spiraling violence. Even before the year ended, the level of violence and massacres far exceeded that of previous years. It is estimated that 86,000 women and girls were murdered worldwide, around 52,000 of them by family members or people close to them. In light of these numbers, the home and the so-called “sacred” family are globally the most dangerous places for women.
To understand how systematic violence against women is, we must look at women’s policies across different countries. In Iraq, attempts were made early this year to revoke women’s achievements through a “Personal Status Law.” Latvia followed Turkey in announcing its withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. In Afghanistan, homes were built in a way that women can’t even look outside. In Turkey, sermons were delivered in mosques declaring: “Women who show their arms and breasts are unbelievers. Women must accept half the inheritance share of men.” In Iran, more than 800 women were executed.”
The statement pointed out that “a state that wants to control what women wear, whether and how they laugh, what they eat, how and with whom they live, and how many children they have, kills women who cross its boundaries. Women do not jump from balconies or windows, do not drown, do not set themselves on fire, and do not commit suicide. We know that behind all of this is masked male violence. The fact that many countries still lack clear definitions of “rape” and “violence” further encourages patriarchal violence. Even when the perpetrator is a man, one must recognize behind this profile a state will and state policy. We know that violence against women is carried out by the male-dominated state mentality. The essence of November 25 is to resist this state-produced violence.”
Let us stop war policies and attacks with “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî”!
The statement said that “to find a solution, we must recognize the reality behind the warlike system. Behind the crises in all areas of life—ecology, economy, health, education—lies violence against women. In his Manifesto for Peace and a Democratic Society, the kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan explains that the first social problem began with the enslavement of women through the murderer. He shows where we must begin to solve today’s social problems.
The caste-like murderer stole in early times with obsidian, in the Middle Ages with the sword, and today with industrialism for the sake of profit. This means he wears a new mask in every era—but he is the same murderer. Sometimes bearded, sword in hand; sometimes in a suit and tie; sometimes the leader of a criminal organization; sometimes the head of state. Therefore, the community built by women will be the greatest form of self-defense. What keeps women alive and defends them is the organized strength of women and communal life. In this sense, we must therefore organize against a system that has escalated violence against women to the level of war and protest against massacres and slavery in all public spaces.”
This war is not our war!
The statement underlined that “wars represent the most extreme form of violence, and this violence is intensified on a daily basis by representatives of the capitalist system and nation states. In Turkey, it is a widely documented fact that one in four children attends school without having eaten. Furthermore, it has been reported that many mothers are compelled to collect refuse in order to provide their children with adequate nutrition. It is evident that the financial resources allocated by the AKP government for military purposes far exceed those available for women, children, education, and health.
The efforts of the Kurdish representative, who is strongly committed to an honourable peace, must be viewed in this context. In the ongoing war in Gaza, thousands of women and children lose their lives and are subjected to sexual, psychological, and physical violence—including by workers of state-supported aid organizations. In Kenya, women who struggle to meet their most basic needs, such as drinking water and food, are subjected to sexual assault. In Abya Yala, even if it is not officially called war, women are subjected to attacks equivalent to those of wartime. This shows that women’s existence, labor, and livelihood have become targets in the power struggle waged by male domination. The disasters experienced by workers, oppressed people, women, and children are the result of a male-dominated system. “Resistance to war” thus embraces all aspects of human life and labor—existence, children, nature, air, water, and the future. Their defense is fundamental. As the Sudanese people, who have been displaced and murdered in the tens of thousands, say: No matter which side wins, we have lost. This war is not our war.”
The statement added: “On this basis, participation in the “Peace and Democratic Society” process initiated by the leader Abdullah Öcalan is being strengthened and organized. This offers a solution to many crises in the Middle East and the world, especially in Kurdistan and Turkey. Abdullah Öcalan will also eliminate the livelihood of war profiteers, gangs, and mafia structures that benefit from war and violence.
The solution to these crises lies in building a democratic, ecological, and women-liberating paradigm.”
In the name of love, we must prevent the massacre of women’s souls and bodies.
The statement recalled that “data shows that women are most often deceived, exploited, humiliated, beaten, and murdered by men who claim to love them. We as women must seriously confront and fight this reality—the lies and violence men carry in the name of love. It is crucial to develop policies addressing how to prevent both physical and emotional violence and to establish standards for relationships.
On this basis, we women should defend our rights more broadly on November 25, develop our standards, and recognize that men who seek to dominate us do not even deserve a “hello” from us. We must enforce these standards everywhere and at all times in our lives in relation to the male-dominated system. The fact that a man who does not know how to speak to a woman cannot be a socialist shows that the standard of being human includes how one approaches women. We must therefore develop standards about which man we consider a friend or comrade, whom we greet, and from whom we distance ourselves. We must make men respect and accept these standards. Above all, in the name of love, we must stop the massacre of women’s souls and bodies.
Against the violence of the male-dominated system: “The commune keeps life alive” – let us organize under this motto and take to the streets!”
The statement continued: “Organization and Communization are the most basic forms of self-defense—and the most heavily attacked by the male-dominated system. Thus, no woman should remain unorganized or alone. On campuses, in workplaces, fields, neighborhoods, and villages, no woman should feel alone. She should be part of a community where she can express and protect herself. Community is the form of society’s existence. It is its nucleus and contains freedom and equality. It is democratic in nature. On this basis, women should come together according to their needs in literacy, communication, sports, art, economy, culture, ecology, defense, and many other areas. Every house can become a commune. In this way women can discuss what kind of man, father, brother, or friend they want and establish standards for how men may approach them. To destroy the strong historical bonds among women, the male-dominated system isolates women with the lie that two women cannot unite. It attacks isolated women in all areas and kills them. Only through organizing communes can we overcome this and build alternative ways of life.
In this sense, on November 25, we aim to carry out awareness and educational work at a mobilizing level!”
The statement said: “We want to fill the streets and squares with our struggle against violence! We especially want to reach women and young people, who perceive violence only in its physical form but cannot grasp or name the economic, psychological, and ecological violence that they experience.
We want to reach neighborhoods, schools, universities, workplaces, and villages! We must raise awareness and organize, especially among women but also among young people and all members of society!
We must explain to men that the problem of violence is fundamentally a problem of male dominance. We must discuss this more and educate, transform, and change men accordingly. In seminars, panel discussions, and similar events, we can discuss topics such as socialist women, socialist men, socialist families, and free partnerships. Such platforms can develop standards for a free life.
On this basis, we as KJK call on all women worldwide—especially women from Kurdistan and the Middle East—to expose the violence of the patriarchal state and to strengthen their organizational, educational, and awareness-raising work within the framework of the November 25 campaign.”
The statement concluded: “As Afghan women say: ‘This dark time makes the light of women shine even brighter. The resistance of women has shown in both Rojava and Afghanistan, that the enemy can be defeated. Once again, it becomes clear that there are no insurmountable obstacles when women stand shoulder to shoulder.’
So let us stand shoulder to shoulder and build a free and dignified life!
Let us organize everywhere against violence, for the commune life!”