Thousands of women gathered in Amed (Diyarbakır) on Saturday to mark International Women's Day on 8 March and to underline their demands for freedom, equality and lasting peace. The event, organized by the Free Women's Movement (TJA), took place at the central station square and sent a clear message against violence, oppression and discrimination.

The colorfully dressed participants demonstrated that they will not be intimidated in their resistance against patriarchal mindsets. In the early hours of the morning, many of them gathered in front of the AZC Plaza in the Ofis district and staged a loud and combative march to the train station, chanting “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (Woman, Life, Freedom).

During the course of the march, women chanted slogans that emphasized both the fight against feminicide and the vision of a free and democratic society. Many of the demands were clearly inspired by Abdullah Öcalan's ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’. Posters with slogans such as “With liberated woman to a free society” and “The Istanbul Convention preserves life” underlined the demands for the rule of law and the protection of women's rights.

The program began with a minute of silence for all women who have lost their lives fighting for freedom and human rights. In a symbolic act, the Kurdish peace mothers released white doves into the sky to express the longing for an end to violence and oppression.

Women co-mayors, TJA activists and politicians took the stage and greeted the participants of the rally. Serra Bucak, Co-Mayor of Amed Metropolitan Municipality, said that Abdullah Öcalan’s call shows that it is possible to build peace. Serra Bucak stated, “We women are here to turn this call into a lasting and honorable peace, to welcome this spring together. We will welcome this call for peace together. We will defend an honorable peace against war, we will never give up on this.”

Politician Gültan Kışanak said: “In İmralı, Mr. Öcalan thought about peace and solution every day, every second against the imposed war policies. He made a call to us. We salute his call for 'Peace and Democratic Society' from Amed. Are we ready to build bridges of peace from Amed to Ankara, from İmralı to all four corners of Turkey? No one should approach this call with any misconception. It is a call to all of us. It is a call to the state, the government, democratic politics, the peoples of the Middle East and women. We all have to do our part. We cannot just wait and wish. We must build peace and freedom. As women, we make a promise to build a democratic society. This will be our labor, our responsibility and our duty. From here we also make a call to Ankara; the Imrali isolation system must be abolished. Mr. Öcalan must contribute to this struggle. Lifting the Imrali isolation system means opening the door to peace for all the peoples of the Middle East and Turkey. And this is the guarantee for all of us.”

Kışanak continued: “We women want to be equal and free in all areas of life. A democratic society cannot be built without recognizing the will of women. Therefore, women's struggle for freedom is the cornerstone of our people's struggle for freedom and peace. You, the young women, should lead this process. We should be with you, and we should walk together. Young women should educate themselves about freedom and equality, reveal their will, and assert their claim to lead this struggle. This is your era. You will march and we will follow you. March, young women. March for freedom, peace and equality.”

The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Women's Assembly Spokesperson Halide Türkoğlu sent greetings to Öcalan, saying: “With his call, Mr. Öcalan has once again brought the hope of peace to these lands. He showed the whole world that there can be peace against war. The whole world paid attention to this message. The whole world listened carefully to this message and welcomed it positively. In this land, we women know the most how war returns to our houses. That is why women will be at the forefront of the struggle for peace. Women will build peace. Mr. Öcalan's call is a call to increase women's struggle for equality. We women will embrace this call and fulfill its requirements.”

Commenting on the attacks by the HTS and affiliated groups against Alawites and women in Syria, Halide Türkoğlu said: “In Syria, there is an autonomous government on the one hand, and peoples are living in the midst of massacres on the other.  Of course, we will live freely and honorably. We women will fulfill this. We are building our hope for the future. As we weave this struggle, as we fulfill Abdullah Öcalan's call, we will raise the women's struggle. He offers the model of a free life in the person of Kurdish women. Against the policies of denial, we women will weave a free and equal life together. We will talk to everyone. We will make this 8 March the day of women's thousands of years of struggle for freedom and unity. The freedom of women will be the freedom of this society. From 8 March to Newroz, we will win; women and mothers will win. We will win together.”

TJA member Ayla Akat Ata said: “Today, the message of the Kurdish People's Leader has taken the process to a new stage. The responsibility of the democratic society and peace process is on our shoulders. As TJA, as young women and mothers, we stand behind the call of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has taken a major step. We believe that it will have an impact not only on the Kurdish people but also on the peoples of the Middle East and the world. He has made a historic call for unity and brotherhood, a call for a free life, for a new life. The scent of the daffodils in İmralı will reach all the women of the world. Are you ready for an honorable peace? Are you ready for a free and united life?”

Ayla Akat Ata continued: “Peace is a hope that touches people's hearts. To be able to talk about peace today is to fight for a solution. To be able to live peace is to fight for a solution. Are we ready for this? We have a difficult task ahead of us. There is a heavy burden for Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, Mr. Erdoğan and Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. That is why we women are ready to carry this burden. We are the ones who have been living and struggling for years with the hope that there will be peace. Today, we will organize peace by joining hands with the Turks, Kurds, Syriacs, Armenians, Turkmen and Alevis of this geography. This land needs peace. That is why we are for a solution, and we are ready to pay the price again and again.”