The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is conducting a “Justice For All” campaign, as part of which the party’s Women's Council has launched a campaign titled "Justice for Women".

Hasret Alp, a member of the HDP Executive Council, spoke to ANF about the content and goals of the campaign.

What is the goal of your justice campaign and why do you think such a campaign is necessary?

Women are particularly affected by the injustice that prevails in Turkey. Women are angry and it is the women's movement that fights the most for social justice. There is no justice for women in the prevailing system. On the contrary, the gains women have fought for are meant to be reversed. Law No. 6284 on the protection of women or the Istanbul Convention are not implemented. The policy of impunity and the attacks on the gains achieved by the women's movement have a share in every murder of women. It is a femicide.

Men who murder, abuse and rape women are protected by the policy of impunity. At the same time, activists fighting for women's liberation are arrested daily. Women who resist men's assaults and resort to self-defense are arrested and charged. Women are affected by all forms of violence anyway, and the situation of women has become extremely worse during the pandemic. For this reason, we have found that there is a particular need for justice for women.

What are your specific goals in this regard?

Instead of preventing femicide, the political power is fighting women. As Kurdish women's movement and as women from feminist and socialist contexts, we are aware that the monist mindset is the fundamental element in femicides. Women's free spaces are destroyed by the patriarchal system of domination and women's institutions that are essential for survival are closed. Femicide takes place, women's labor is exploited and made invisible, native languages are assimilated, and women's will is systematically overridden. All of this is politically promoted and implemented.

In this awareness, we are working together with all women's movements in our campaign. We can only fight against the concentrated attacks with a joint and organized struggle.

For what period is the campaign intended and what activities are planned?

We started in February and are taking our demand for justice for women to the public. Numerous activities are planned for the first week of March. After International Women's Struggle Day on March 8, the focus will be on women's economic problems until May 1: Women's poverty, social protection, exploitation, unemployment and social justice.

Would you like to make an appeal to women and society?

All peoples are affected by the government's attacks. From the women's movement to the students to the labor movement, all social groups face repressive policies of intimidation and exploitation. Our friends in prisons are experiencing isolation within isolation, and the most serious human rights violations are taking place. The need for justice is greater than ever. We believe that social justice is a priority need for all social groups. Above all, as women, we draw our strength from organized struggle. On this basis, we call on the peoples of Turkey, women, the oppressed, youth and opposition parties to support our campaign.