Prepared under the slogan “We are liberated through resistance, we weave the democratic society,” the declaration was announced at a meeting held at the Cemil Pasha Mansion in Sur, Diyarbakır (Amed). The Kurdish version of the text was read by Ayşegül Ayaz, while the Turkish version was read by Sebahat Tuncel.
The declaration referred to the historical background of March 8, emphasizing that the day is not merely a celebration but a symbol of women’s struggle for equality, freedom, and justice.
The text highlighted violence against women, labor exploitation, and policies of impunity, stating, with reference to United Nations data, that every ten minutes a woman or a girl is killed by a man close to her somewhere in the world.
In its statement, the Free Women’s Movement (TJA) said that the capitalist system exploits women’s labor in insecure and low-paid sectors and highlighted the impact of war policies on women. It noted that March 8 is also a day on which the demand for peace is raised.
The declaration emphasized the women’s struggle in Rojava and the process described as the “Rojava Women’s Revolution,” arguing that attacks on the region target women’s liberationist gains. It also noted that the spirit of national unity rising in Kurdistan in the wake of attacks on Rojava should be seen as the historical continuation of this consciousness and resistance.
It further stated that, within the framework of the “democratic nation” perspective, an egalitarian, pluralistic, and free model of life is being advanced.
Referring to the call made by Abdullah Öcalan on 27 February, the declaration said that the “Peace and Democratic Society Process” is supported, and stressed that lasting peace must be built on the foundation of women’s freedom.
The declaration said: “In the struggle to socialize peace, we women who have taken on a leading role will continue to be present in the streets and public squares today, as we were yesterday, to ensure the success of this process, to secure the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, who is one of the principal actors of the process, and to weave the peace process with a democratic society. We know that no peace will be lasting if women’s freedom is not guaranteed; and that a democratic society will only find its true meaning through the organized resistance of women.”
The declaration described this as “a system of life that has attained the body we have imagined,” and continued: “We must come together around Democratic Women’s Confederalism and collectively build a new life against organized regional and global attacks. Our pain is shared; our struggle is shared. Turning these into the collective construction of a new life is the historical responsibility on the shoulders of each and every one of us.”
The statement concluded with the following call: “We call on women all over the world, above all in Kurdistan and the Middle East, to join a common struggle against the attacks of the male-dominated system. March 8 is no longer only a day of resistance for us, but also a day on which we celebrate the construction of a new life. In order to multiply our will, our voice, and our lives, we invite all women to resistance and construction throughout the week of March 8, and we already celebrate every woman’s March 8 with great enthusiasm. Long live the women’s struggle, Women, Life, Freedom (Jin jiyan, azadî).”
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