Free Women’s Movement (TJA) activist Çimen Fidan said that in 2026 they will continue to strengthen their role and mission in the process, remain active in every sphere, and come together with women engaged in struggle across all fields.
With only days left before the new year, women spent 2025 in struggle despite shortcomings in organization and practice. In the face of social, political, and militarist attacks targeting women, they did not withdraw from the field and continued to raise their voices, voicing demands for peace and equality across the country throughout the year. Following the February 27 call by Abdullah Öcalan, TJA set up a new agenda and carried out work throughout the year focused on building a democratic society and advancing reconstruction efforts, taking a leading role in these initiatives.
Women and constitution commission established
The slow pace of the Peace and Democratic Society Process and the failure of the state and the government to take the expected steps have drawn criticism and public reaction. TJA established a Women and Constitution Commission and officially announced it on August 24. By entering the debate on a new constitution, women put forward a demand for a constitution grounded in gender equality.
National unity efforts intensify
The Kurdish Women’s Unity Platform held a conference in Diyarbakır (Amed) on June 21–22 under the slogan “Bi yekîtiya jinên Kurd, ber bi yekîtiya neteweyî ve. (With the unity of Kurdish women, toward national unity)” Led by TJA, the First Kurdish Women Parliamentarians Conference was also held in Diyarbakır on May 28–29. Meanwhile, on July 9, a workshop was organized in Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî) with the participation of 80 delegates from the four parts of Kurdistan and Europe.
They marched for freedom
The TJA also launched a seven-day march from Diyarbakır to Ankara on October 1 under the slogan “We march toward freedom with hope.” During the march, women demanded the physical freedom of Öcalan, constitutional guarantees for the Kurdish people’s language and cultural rights, the reversal of trustee seizures, and the official recognition of the co-chair system.
Women carried out work throughout the year on national unity, special warfare policies, communes, reconstruction, and women’s identity, emphasizing that they see themselves as key actors in the peace process. They are now preparing to enter 2026 with the same determination. For TJA women, the two main priorities in 2026 will be reconstruction and commune work.
TJA activist Çimen Fidan evaluated the activities carried out by the movement throughout 2025 and its goals for the coming period. She said the women’s struggle has continued to grow on the ground despite all forms of pressure and stressed that they will pursue the struggle even more strongly in 2026.
Organization grew through the conference we held
Fidan said: “As TJA, we were present in the field throughout 2025 with various activities. Following the conference, we organized the February 27 call, and then March 8 and Newroz, we expanded this work even further.
Despite pressure and attempts to impose subjugation on women, the struggle has continued. Women did not accept the life imposed on them. Instead, they took to the field to build their own free and equal lives.
In recent years, this has become clearly visible in public spaces. Women established many institutions and associations and took part in their activities. Despite everything, women continued this year to defend their demands and achievements for a shared and equal life.”
Attacks targeting women did not stop
Çimen Fidan spoke about the content of the conference held in the first months of 2025 and said: “At this conference, we addressed all the problems being experienced in relation to women, children, and ecology. We also discussed special warfare policies and carried out serious work against them. We talked about what we can do in the face of these deepening problems and where we have fallen short.”
Fidan stated that throughout 2025 they primarily confronted special warfare policies and attacks targeting women’s gains and said: “With the appointment of trustees, women’s institutions were shut down, and attempts were made to separate women from society. Through trustees, our access to women living in villages and districts was blocked. Through rising femicides and legal attacks, they sought to shape women’s lives according to their own worldview.”
We continued to struggle despite shortcomings
Fidan said that the isolation imposed on Imralı Island remained a major issue throughout the year and added: “We spent this year with the demand for the freedom of Öcalan, who is being held under isolation on Imralı Island. As women waging a struggle for identity in both Kurdistan and Turkey, we raised our voices by putting every social and political issue before us.”
Fidan also said there were shortcomings despite the work carried out. She said: “There were moments when we fell short in expanding organization and addressing social problems. However, despite these shortcomings, as TJA we never took a step back and continued our struggle.”
We discussed communes and democratic society door to door
Çimen Fidan also spoke about the process that began with the February 27 call and said: “The point I especially want to highlight regarding 2025 is the reconstruction work and the commune process that took root in the field following the February 27 call. Reconstruction cannot take place without the involvement of women and society. Throughout this process, we were present in the field with women’s decisions and labor, and we saw women as both the subjects and pioneers of this process. We came together with women in every sphere of society to discuss reconstruction and communes. We went door to door and organized workshops. Our reconstruction work is still ongoing and will expand further in the new year. At the top of our roadmap for the coming year will be the role of women in reconstruction.”
We declared that we are ready to take part in the solution
Fidan also added about the work carried out within the framework of the Democratic Society Process and said: “We were in the field on March 8, Newroz, and April 4, and this work continued September 1. Women led these efforts. Women became the pioneers of both democratic society and peace. The ‘March of Hope and Freedom,’ which began in Diyarbakır on October 1 and ended in Ankara, was just one example of this. We raised our voices in parliament, declaring that peace and a solution pass through freedom and equality. As Kurdish women, we stated in parliament that we are ready to take steps for peace and to take part in the solution.”
Reconstruction efforts will expand
Çimen Fidan also shared her messages for 2026 and said: “We raised our demands in every sphere. In 2026, our work will continue toward the implementation of concrete steps. The steps taken so far are insufficient and are pushing society toward insecurity. More reassuring and sincere steps must be taken.”
Fidan said the women’s struggle will continue in the new year. She also added: “We will continue to organize workshops on democratic society and communes and to come together with women. We will once again take to the field against rising femicides and policies that seek to confine women to the home and strip them of identity. We will move from street to street and neighborhood to neighborhood to strengthen women’s organization in the process of reconstruction.”
Unity and organization will be the main priorities
Fidan stated that they will also take part in the World Women’s March scheduled for next year and said: “In 2026, we will continue to strengthen our role and mission in the process and to come together with women struggling in every field. We will carry on our work with a new roadmap for women’s freedom, equality, and life. Women’s unity and organization will be the most prominent priorities we set before ourselves in 2026.”