Ronahî Malatya, a member of the Jineoloji Academy, stated that a meaningful and enchanting life through the lens of womanhood is only possible by uncovering the truth of women. She said: “Mr. Öcalan approaches the liberation of women as a matter of fundamental principle.’’

Ronahî Malatya, a member of the Jineoloji Academy, responded to our questions regarding the letter sent by Abdullah Öcalan to women.

The title of Mr. Öcalan’s message read on March 8 was: 'My fundamental principle is an enchanting life with you.' How can such a life with women be described?

In order for women to break the chains of slavery, Mr. Öcalan laid the foundations for building a free life based on a democratic, ecological, and women’s liberationist paradigm. He pursues this path with deep love, unwavering faith, and immense dedication. In fact, when he was taken captive by the international conspiracy, he described this project as 'the one that remains unfinished.' He emphasized to women that it must be completed under all conditions. Even under the conditions of isolation in Imralı, his notes and the five volumes of his written defenses address women’s liberation on a fundamental, principled level. This alone reveals how deeply he values women. An enchanting life with women can only be realized by uncovering the truth of women.

Mr. Öcalan approaches women through sociological, historical, philosophical, and scientific perspectives. He attributes the same meaning to women as he does to life itself. Woman is life; life is womanhood. They are inseparable. There is an enchanting and integrative bond between them and this bond cannot exist without freedom. The phrase ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ (woman, life, freedom) is a deeply philosophical and powerful expression. Its impact has been so profound that it led women into wave after wave of resistance, shaking the foundations of male state power. It showed that an alternative and free life is possible, and both Öcalan and society believed that this life would come into being under the leadership of women.

Öcalan approaches it on a fundamental, principled level

To uncover the truth of women, Öcalan addresses women’s liberation on a fundamental and principled level. Reaching the true meaning of life, grasping its value, holds an enchanting depth. Mr. Öcalan sees the understanding of life as something as precious as a secret.

Just as the universe holds an enchanting value, so does woman. There are still many undiscovered dimensions of the universe (the macro cosmos), and those dimensions carry profound mystery and wonder. All the stages of the universe’s formation can be observed within human beings. In order to understand the universe, one must first understand human beings, and more essentially, one must understand women. All the magnificent values of life, vitality, and humanity are hidden within woman and the spaces that give rise to her. These sacred spaces lie in the lands of Mesopotamia, which encompass the Taurus-Zagros mountain range. It was in these lands that all things began with women. The Neolithic Revolution took place here. Woman is the stem cell of life. She is the true power behind the magical words 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî'. Sanctity and divinity belong to woman. Social life requires wisdom. The values we define today as the essence of humanity—peace, democracy, equality, freedom, fraternity, communal living, a classless and exploitation-free existence, and ecological balance were all once practiced under the leadership of women during the era of natural society, the earliest phase of democratic life.

Mr. Öcalan says that unless the culture of rape is overcome, the truth of society cannot be revealed in the fields of philosophy, science, aesthetics, ethics, or religion. So, what kind of struggle must be waged against this culture?

The struggle against the culture of rape must begin with answering key questions: How did this culture come into being? Where does it draw its strength from? How does it continue to spread? These questions must be addressed with the correct perspective. The answers must then be interpreted, internalized, raised to the level of consciousness, and put into practice. Alongside this, the path and methods of struggle will emerge through the style of resistance. Women must equip themselves through scientific thought and awareness, through organization and self-defense, and carry forward the struggle. The more this style of struggle becomes permanent, the more it transforms society.

Every means has been justified for the sake of male power

The culture of rape is the product of a five-thousand-year-old dominant male mentality. This mindset grants men the role of power, causing them to see everything as their property something to own, possess, and control. Any method or means is deemed permissible if it serves to strengthen or secure male dominance. Power relations are built on violence, oppression, exploitation, harassment, and rape. Through the institution of marriage, the culture of rape is formalized. Within this framework, a woman is registered as the man’s property—his possession, his slave. The most terrifying part is that women are led to believe this is their natural fate. Sometimes they accept it willingly, other times under pressure. What began as the enslavement and objectification of women gradually came to encompass the whole of society. This system now wraps itself around the collective consciousness and daily life of society like an octopus. State-based power, through the normalization of misogyny and the idealization of the abusive, rapist male figure, works to protect men by failing to enforce laws and regulations in cases of harassment, rape, and violence, thus attempting to criminalize the woman instead. The man, in this system, is not only the perpetrator of rape culture but also one of its victims. He must recognize this and approach himself with self-criticism in order to truly resist and dismantle the culture of rape.

Mr. Öcalan says, ‘without women's freedom, there can be no socialism’ underlining that women’s liberation is the foundation of all freedoms. In this sense, how should one define a socialist personality?

To answer this question, it may be more accurate to first consider what traits should not exist in such a personality. The essential point is to mentally, ideologically, and spiritually detach oneself from the dazzling lifestyle offered by capitalist modernity. A socialist personality must reject dualistic thinking such as subject-object, oppressor-oppressed, ruler-slave, employer-worker. One must cleanse oneself of the dominant male and enslaved female characteristics instilled by patriarchal culture and instead reach the state of the free man and the free woman. That is where the qualities of a true socialist are embodied. It is someone who lives and acts under the light of a democratic, ecological, and women’s liberationist paradigm. They believe that when women are liberated, society will also be liberated, and they struggle for that. They believe in implementing the principles of equality and freedom in all areas of life and the universe. They accept that every living being in the universe holds meaning and value. They see diversity as richness. They achieve an optimal balance between emotional and analytical intelligence, embodying a unity of thought, intention, and action in their life.

The philosophy of ‘a robe and a morsel’ living humbly like a dervish is one of the traditional standards of being a socialist. Today, the one who best represents the socialist personality is Mr. Öcalan. Living truthfully for twenty-four hours alongside Öcalan is the essential measure for attaining a truly socialist identity.

Mr. Öcalan defines woman as 'the universe itself' and man as 'a deviation from it a strayed planet,' and points out that in today’s world, woman has been reduced to the role of a housewife. He then states that 'a rebirth is essential.' How can women achieve such a rebirth?

For the past five thousand years, patriarchal mentality has used all fields of knowledge science, religion, history, sociology, and beyond to systematize and institutionalize its power, domination, and hegemony. All the paths that could lead women to knowledge, awareness, and understanding have been blocked. Because if women access knowledge and develop consciousness, they will begin to question, to resist, and the truth will inevitably come to light. To prevent this, patriarchy has developed its own set of precautions against women. For example, biologically, science has proven that man is derived from woman. The Y chromosome is a derivative of the X chromosome. This is significant. We can say that the universe has a feminine character. And that character has also shaped the nature of social life. Yet that very character has been distorted and corrupted through layers of male-dominated deviation. Woman has been made to forget her own creative power. the one who gives life has come to be associated with death instead. Therefore, for woman to reconnect with her creative essence, she must give birth to herself anew. Like a phoenix rising from its ashes, woman is confronted with a struggle in which she is compelled to recreate herself from her own ruins. This is the struggle of becoming oneself of 'xwebûn'. A woman who refuses to surrender to her so-called fate, and realizes she must live in freedom, has already begun the process of her own rebirth.

Mr. Öcalan draws attention to Simone de Beauvoir’s statement, ‘One is not born a woman, but rather becomes one.’ What is the meaning behind this?

The processes that define a woman’s culture, way of life, and perception of her own existence are shaped by the male-dominated statist system, which emerged as a deviation from natural society. Dominant male culture has built its values and systems by concealing and denying the truth of women. The woman, who has been reduced to the status of a slave, eventually comes to internalize this condition on intellectual, emotional, and existential levels. She is made to believe that the enslaved life is her fate and that no other alternative exists. In this way, a specific form of womanhood is constructed.

Being a woman is not solely a biological reality; it is shaped by the character of society. Therefore, the development of a free female existence requires the presence of a free society. Conversely, we can also say this: as women become aware of this reality and organize and grow in strength, they will become the fundamental force and leading power behind the liberation of society. Mr. Öcalan also applies this concept to men. Just as one is not born a dominant man but becomes one, it is equally possible to become a free man.

Abdullah Öcalan also points out that a culture of free womanhood has been created, but he adds, ‘You are getting by with only ten percent of the culture of freedom.’ Should this be understood as a critique of women? And what is your vision of a one-hundred percent culture of freedom?

Although the free women's movement has achieved significant gains through its struggle, it has yet to fully unleash its true potential and energy. The continued presence of rape culture and its persistence both globally and in the Middle East, shows that the achievements of the women’s liberation struggle are still not enough. It is a clear sign that we must expand and deepen our resistance against the dominant male culture. The leadership’s statement should be understood as a constructive criticism. Our vision, a one-hundred percent culture of freedom, is to live in a democratic society where a free and equal life is possible. It is a life in which patriarchal and statist culture have been entirely abolished, and where freedom is lived through the ethics and aesthetics of a society without borders, without exploitation, without classes, and without violence.

What roles and responsibilities do women have in curbing the culture of war and conflict? In this context, how should women interpret Mr. Öcalan’s statement that ‘the call for peace and a democratic society is a renaissance for women,’ and where should they begin?

Since the culture of war and conflict is rooted in masculinity, the one who can weaken and ultimately end it is the woman who carries the culture of peace. Women are the ones most harmed by war, most exposed to violence. Therefore, women must play a pivotal, dynamic role in the development and sustainability of a culture of peace. Great responsibility falls on women in this regard. Throughout history, in different periods and across the world, women from various nations and sects have taken joint stances against nationalist and religious war propaganda. They organized peace congresses and actions in opposition to war. Against the male-dominated system that built power on force, killing, and war, they upheld the principle of justice and the protection of life. By embracing cultural diversity as richness, they focused on building mutual empathy and the ability to feel each other’s pain. Meeting vital needs became a shared responsibility; being in solidarity and working together became the foundations of the solutions led by women.

For Mr. Öcalan’s ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society’ to come to life, women and women’s movements must prioritize the socialization of this process enlightening society and collectively weaving the process. The language of peace is the language of women. Therefore, during this process, it is crucial to diminish the polarizing, exclusionary, and power-centered male discourse; to ensure that all segments of society can express themselves freely regardless of culture, identity, or belief; and to lead efforts that organize and mobilize people based on both unique and shared needs.

Women’s peace initiatives and movements, organized locally, regionally, and globally on the basis of overcoming patriarchal, war-based, and rape-oriented cultures, can become a beacon of hope in the twenty-first century for realizing a renaissance through the reconstruction of democratic social life, politics, and the economy.