Kurdish Women, Uncategorized

Jineology – science of women, science of revolution

Camilla Power is an activist and academic. She has been teaching anthropology for over 20 years at University of East London. With the Radical Anthropology Group, she researches the role of women in human origins, and the evolution of language, art and symbolism. She has done fieldwork on gender and ritual with Hadza women of Tanzania. 

“If women combine forces they can make a huge revolution”

With these words, Fawza Yusif, cofounder of the umbrella women’s organization Kongreya Star, launched the founding congress of the Women’s Council of Northern and Eastern Syria (Jun 14 2019).

shahmaran

The Painting of Şahmaran outside the Jineology centre in Derik.

 

Continue reading “Jineology – science of women, science of revolution” →

Conflict resolution, Kurdish Women

REPAK Information File: Women of Resistance targeted by the state

Below is an excerpt from the latest information file published by the Kurdish Women’s Relations Office (REPAK. It details how women have been targeted by the Turkish state over the last several months.

You can download the full report here

Information File:

‘Women of Resistance Targeted By the State’
Turkish State Terror in Kurdistan and Feminicide

As of 11 January 2016

Contents

I. ‘Fight against terrorism’ or state terror against the people? Political evaluation and call

II. Chronology: Curfews

III. ‘Shoot the women first!’ List of women killed during curfews or by extralegal execution

Continue reading “REPAK Information File: Women of Resistance targeted by the state” →

Conflict resolution, Peace process

Women warn UK government of dangers to Kurds

On Wednesday 23rd September at 4pm, a delegation of women delivered an open letter signed by a coalition of prominent women’s rights activists to 10 Downing Street. The letter urgently calls on David Cameron to use his influence with the Turkish government to stop the violence being perpetrated against Kurdish civilians in the south east of the country.

The delegation includes Michelle Allison (Kurdistan National Congress), Evrim Yilmaz (Roj Women Assembly) and human rights barrister Melanie Gingell, who has just returned from a fact-finding mission to Cizre, south east Turkey, which has been under curfew for several days and which has been a flashpoint of violence between Turkish security forces and Kurdish civilians in recent weeks.

Cameron has long insisted that Turkey, a NATO partner, is a strong friend to the UK. On his last official visit to Ankara, Cameron stated that Britain and Turkey would work “hand-in-glove” to combat ISIS. And yet he has turned away as the Turkish government used their apparent entry into the anti-ISIS coalition as a veil to break the ceasefire with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and attack Kurdish towns and villages. Continue reading “Women warn UK government of dangers to Kurds” →

Conflict resolution, Kurdish Women, Peace process

CALL FOR ACTION: CHALLENGE CAMERON’S SILENCE ON TURKEY!

 

Wednesday 23rd September, 4pm

Join us for a demonstration outside 10 Downing Street!

 

“Help build peace with the Kurds, rather than extend the war.”

 

Kurdish women shout slogans during the f...Kurdish women shout slogans during the funeral of a YPG (People's Protection Units) fighter in the town of Suruc, Sanliurfa province, on October 14, 2014. Attacking Islamic State jihadists met firm Kurdish resistance in the Syrian battleground town of Kobane on Sunday, as neighbouring Turkey heeded pressure to intervene and handed the US access to its air bases. AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINISARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images
Kurdish women shout slogans during the funeral of a YPG (People’s Protection Units) fighter in the town of Suruc, Sanliurfa province, on October 14, 2014. 
AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINISARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

On Wednesday 23rd September at 4pm, a delegation of women will deliver an open letter signed by a coalition of prominent women’s rights activists to 10 Downing Street. The letter urgently calls on David Cameron to use his influence with the Turkish government to stop the violence being perpetrated against Kurdish civilians in the south east of the country.

Continue reading “CALL FOR ACTION: CHALLENGE CAMERON’S SILENCE ON TURKEY!” →

Conflict resolution, Kurdish Women

The Free Women’s Congress issues appeal for an end to violence in Silopi

The FREE WOMEN CONGRESS (KONGREYA JİNÊN AZAD –KJA) has released this urgent statement on the continued state-sponsored violence in Silopi, southern Turkey, which has seen some of the worst of the latest wave of unrest across the country. 

URGENT CALL

TO INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS, WOMEN ORGANISATIONS AND PRESS

The denial and destruction policies, human rights violations, arrests, evacuation of villages and unidentified murders applied on civilian Kurdish people by the Turkish State as a consequence of the escalation of the conflictual atmosphere between PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and state forces in the early of 90s have caused deep wounds in society. Upon the call of Kurdish People’s Leader Mr. Abdullah Öcalan in Newroz, on 21st March 2013, the society in Turkey has breathed easy and set great hopes on democratic solution and peace-building. However, with the process started with the rejection of the negotiations just after the general elections in Turkey on 7th June 2015; the insist on isolation implemented on Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, bombing attacks, political and military operations, forest burnings, sexual violence against women and massacres against civil people are enhanced by the State violently. Continue reading “The Free Women’s Congress issues appeal for an end to violence in Silopi” →

Conflict resolution, Kurdish Women

We will not let them make war! Statement by REBAK

This statement was sent us by the Kurdish Women’s Relation Office (REPAK) based in Erbil:

Dear women,

As Kurdish Women’s Relation Office we want to inform you about current incidents in our country, which aim to push the whole people of Turkey and Kurdistan into a dirty war.

On 20 July, in the mostly Kurdish inhabited district Suruç on the border to Kobanê (Rojava – Northern Syria) as result of a suicide bombing 31 people lost their lives, nearly 100 got injured. Most of these people were students from all over Turkey and Northern Kurdistan, on their way to Kobane, where they wanted to build a library and a playground for children.

It is assumed that the suicide bomber acted by order of ISIL, whereby since now nobody has admitted responsibility for the attack. Continue reading “We will not let them make war! Statement by REBAK” →