The Kurdish Women's Movement in Europe (TJK-E) announced numerous activities to mark the international day for the elimination of violence against women on 25 November under the slogan "Jin, Jiyan, Azadî: Jiyanê Biparêze!" (Woman, Life, Freedom: Defend Life!). Street actions and events are planned in several European countries.

In its call for participation in the activities, the TJK-E stated: "We celebrate 25 November 2022 with the slogan “Jin,Jiyan,Azadî”, which can be heard all over the world. While the attacks of the ruling system against women continue systematically and uninterruptedly, the struggle of women demanding freedom is growing all over the world. Through the great struggles of these women who say that another world is possible, the patriarchal-etatist system is being shaken to its foundations today. 2022 was a year in which violence, rape, sexism and feminicide escalated in Kurdistan, the Middle East and almost everywhere in the world. Even though the rulers wanted to usurp the rights won by women at great cost, women will not be bowed down and will not give up their struggle.

REMEMBERING THE WOMEN PRISONERS WITH LOVE AND RESPECT

On the occasion of 25 November, we remember with love and respect all the women who resisted, worked and paid a price along the way, from the Mirabel sisters, who were an expression of the insistence on a free life against the fascist Trujillo regime, to Sara (Sakine Cansiz), from Berta Caceres to Hevrîn Xelef, from Nagihan Akarsel to Jina Amini, from Ruken to Helbest. Their faith and love for a free life have been instrumental in advancing women's struggle for freedom and have led to women's rebellion around the world.

“JIN, JIYAN, AZADI” HAS BECOME THE COMPASS OF WOMEN

Today, the patriarchal system ruthlessly attacks women's resistance with all kinds of means and methods. However, women are in a great awakening against all kinds of violence, oppression, rape and massacres. The words “Jin,Jiyan,Azadî”, which spread all over the world after the murder of Jina Amini from Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan), have become the compass of women.

This shows once again that the greatest power against this dirty, anti-nature, anti-society and anti-women system is the organised force of women today. The women's liberation struggle has emerged as the most radical revolt against the five-thousand-year-old male-dominated system and its last stage, the system of capitalist modernity, and has today become a song of freedom and preference for a free life with the slogan “Jin,Jiyan,Azadî” in the language of every woman. The paradigm of capitalist modernity, which enslaves society and uses its power ruthlessly with deceit, lies and violence to this end, is collapsing. Instead, an alternative libertarian-democratic-ecological women's paradigm is emerging, put forward by Rêber Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) under the most difficult conditions. The system that has come to life under the leadership of women in Rojava is the best proof of this.

THE ANGER, STRUGGLE, VOICE, POETRY AND SONG OF ALL WOMEN

As the Kurdish women's movement in Europe, we celebrate 25 November this year with the slogan 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî: Jiyanê Biparêze'. With this, we formulate our demand to strengthen the struggle and build a free life. As women, we have more experience, know-how, means of struggle and a basis for cooperation than ever before. All over the world, women are fighting against inequality, injustice, unfairness, sexism, nationalism, racism and all kinds of violence. And we will intensify this struggle until we get results. We will be the rage, the struggle, the voice, the poetry and the song of every woman.

WOMEN STRUGGLE IN ALL AREAS

Women are struggling in all areas. They demand that their invisible work in the household be made visible. They want social equality, they reject domestic prison in favour of economic freedom, and at the same time they struggle to survive. Because these demands, which are among the most important human rights, are considered crimes for women and they are murdered by men on the streets, in their homes and in front of their children. Therefore, the capitalist system, which, with its laws, gender culture and traditions, positions women as the second sex in society, and every state that implements this system, is responsible for every woman murdered and every child affected by sexual violence. But women have not been silent to all these attacks of the capitalist system. On the contrary, they have intensified the struggle.

WOMEN’S LIBERATION REVOLUTION

The women's liberation revolution is Rêber Apo's biggest project. It has broken with all patterns of thinking, given a new perspective to social problems and social reconstruction and shown new methods of struggle. In contrast, the fascist AKP/MHP regime has intensified the isolation of Rêber Apo and attacked Kurdish women and democratic forces with a policy of genocide. To these attacks of the AKP/MHP regime, which wants to achieve results with methods of annihilation and war, the women and our people, especially the freedom guerrillas, have responded by intensifying the struggle. We women will continue to fight on the front line by increasing our anger against the Turkish occupying state and the collaborating KDP who have been committing all kinds of war crimes and attacking the guerrillas with chemical weapons for months. The guarantee that the end of the fascist AKP/MHP regime and its collaborator KDP will be a great defeat comes from this will and strength of women. As with every dictatorship, it will be the women who will bring about the end of this dictatorship. In this sense, we salute the guerrilla women of the YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) who are leading the greatest struggle for dignity of the 21st century and showing all women how to fight. They are the hope, the will and the breath of free life. We women will take our place in this honourable struggle and take to the streets again on 25 November against occupation, isolation, genocide and fascism from all over the world.

WOMEN’S MOVEMENT MORE UNIVERSAL THAN EVER

The fact that the 21st century will be the century of women is becoming clearer every day. All over the world, women's struggle against the patriarchal system, against feminicide, against inequality, injustice, racism and all forms of violence, wherever they come from, is growing. The women's movement has become more universal and a social force than ever before. As TJK-E, we will take action everywhere on the occasion of 25 November, the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The Kurdish women's movement's call 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadî against all forms of male-state violence' will be the basic slogan of this year of struggle for women. As Rêber Apo said, these three magic words are the key to a free life. And the answer of us Kurdish women living in Europe will be 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadi; Jiyane Bipareze'. We will defend life against male-state violence. We defend life for a free life.

To mark this occasion, we call on all women to participate in a strong way in the actions and events on 25 November."

ACTION TIMETABLE

TJK-E announced activities in Germany, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, England, Cyprus and Scotland for the period 19-26 November. The following actions are planned in Germany and Switzerland:

19 November

Düsseldorf, 13.30: Demonstration, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße/DGB-Haus

Frankfurt, 1 p.m.: Demonstration, main station

24 November

Berlin, 6 p.m.: United Nations Square

25 November

Hanover, 3.30 p.m.: Central Station

Duisburg, 4 p.m.: Central Station

Hamburg, 6 p.m.: Dammtor

Trier, 6.30 p.m.: Viehmarkt

Darmstadt, 4 p.m.: Luisenplatz

Mannheim, 5 p.m.: Marktplatz

Saarbrücken, 5 pm: Europa Galerie

Marburg, 8 p.m.: Hörsaalgebäude Biegenstraße 14

Munich, 6 p.m.: Josephplatz

Stuttgart, 4 p.m.: Rotebühlplatz

Dortmund, 4 p.m.: Kampstraße 46

Kiel, 6 p.m.: Asmus-Bremer-Platz

Bremen, 4.30 p.m.: Central Station

Aurich, 3.30 p.m.: Market Square

Cologne, 6 p.m.: Wiener Platz

Münster, 4 p.m.: Stubengasse

Wuppertal, 4.30 p.m.: Church Square

Friedrichshafen, 4 p.m.: Buchhornplatz

Freiburg, 4 p.m.: Platz der Alten Synagoge

Berlin, 6 p.m.: Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz

Heilbronn, 4 p.m.: Harmonie

Celle, 5 p.m.: Gertrud Schröter Square

Karlsruhe, 3 p.m.: Marktplatz

Zurich, 7 pm: Hirschenplatz

Basel, 7 p.m.: Theaterplatz

Geneva, 4.30 p.m.: RDV Place Bel-Air

Lausanne, 6 p.m.: Pont Bessières

26 November

Essen, 12 noon: Marktkirche/Porschekanzel

Zurich, 2 p.m.: Helvetiaplatz