Now Is The Time Of Women

On the second anniversary of the February 27 call for a peaceful and democratic society made by Leader Ocalan, we affirm that we endorse the call with a profound sense of historical and social responsibility, and we pledge to fulfill with dignity the duty of serving as the “vanguard” of this process—a role that Leader Ocalan has entrusted to us as women.

This year, we are approaching March amid historic developments. The month of March, which is an expression for nature’s quest for freedom is crowned by spring. This month is the mother of the most challenging yet magnificent struggles in the history of the fight for women’s freedom. While March 8 has become a symbol of the women’s freedom resistance, Newroz—a festival of rebirth and resistance—has become an enduring symbol of freedom for all the oppressed peoples, and especially women of the world, personified by the Kurds. March is also the month of our martyrs, who ignited the flame of freedom by setting their own bodies on fire, achieving immortality through this relentless resistance for freedom. On this occasion, we commemorate all the martyrs of the revolution for  democracy—represented by the martyrs of March 8 and Newroz—with respect, love, and gratitude, and we reaffirm that we will be the subjects, driving force, and vanguard of transforming the flame of freedom into a people’s dance of free life and communal living.

Throughout our 52-year history of relentless struggle, we—as the women’s movement—have developed a campaign based on the issues and solutions surrounding women’s freedom, that has fostered a collective consciousness of freedom through strategic initiatives and efforts. Over the past three years, our “March Toward the Women’s Revolution with Jin Jiyan Azadî” initiative has fostered a system of awareness, consciousness of women’s freedom, resistance, and reformation not only in Kurdistan and the nation-states to which it is linked, but also across the Middle East and on a global scale. “Jin Jiyan Azadî” has transcended its status as a mere theoretical philosophy; by becoming a global concept, it has not been limited to women alone but has also inspired men to proclaim this philosophy of liberation and hope in the public sphere.

With Leader Ocalan’s historical, social, and philosophical call, along with his manifesto for a communal society, we stand on the threshold of a history of enlightenment, rebirth, and free self-creation. As we conclude the campaign we have been carrying out under the slogan of “Marching Toward the Women’s Revolution with Jin Jiyan Azadî” on the occasion of March 8, International Working Women’s Day, we hereby declare that we are launching a strategic initiative today that will permanently secure the freedom of the peoples and women.

“NOW IS THE TIME OF WOMEN!”

The campaign we are launching under this slogan marks the transition from a negative revolution to a positive revolution in our struggle against women’s enslavement, subordination, loss of identity, lawlessness, injustice, misogynistic psychological warfare policies, and all forms of violence against women—all of which the patriarchal system has been trying to universalize over the past thousands of years. Now is the time for women to build the ecological, democratic, communal social system based on women’s freedom!

This is a move to secure the physical freedom of Leader Ocalan—who has promoted the leadership and comradeship of the gender liberation philosophy and system—to create the conditions for him to live and work freely, to pursue democratic politics through the enforcement of the right to hope, and to eliminate the obstacles preventing him from carrying out the democratic society project. The resolution of the two-century-old Kurdish issue on the basis of a peaceful and democratic society also constitutes an alternative solution to humanity’s universal crisis. In this sense, Leader Ocalan’s physical freedom warrants a universal struggle led by women.

Against the culture of feminicide and rape—which transforms women’s bodies into battlefields and uses them as instruments of war—and against capitalist modernity’s sexist, fundamentalist, nationalist attacks of harassment, rape, and massacres, the “Jin Jiyan Azadî” (Woman, Life, Freedom) philosophy calls for the socialization of the values of self-defense, democracy, equality, and freedom, and for women to gain an organized identity and status. Now is the time for women!

Over the past two hundred years, the Kurds and Kurdistan have been torn apart by assimilationist and genocidal practices and international conspiracies. The Kurds, who are at the center of World War III—a war to reshape the world—are also the main targets of this war. They face constant military attacks. Overcoming these policies is possible through a national unity that will reshape Kurdish history, and through the national unity of women. On this basis, we say that now is the time for the international unity of women—to oppose genocidal policies and build a democratic nation. We call on all Kurdish women to take on their historical responsibility for the development of national unity and to crown this process with national unity. Now is the time for women to secure the status of the Kurds and enshrine the Kurdish identity in law!

In Rojava, through the YPJ self-defense forces, women’s organizations, and the system of equal representation and co-presidency, it has become the geopolitical and geostrategic foundation of the women’s revolution. Rojava shines like a beacon against the darkness of ISIS and HTS (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) in Syria, Kurdistan, the Middle East, and even across the globe. Yet this women’s revolution—the Rojava revolution—has not yet achieved full recognition, and the significant threats remain. It is time to protect Rojava, defend the women’s revolution, and defend the YPJ—not only to establish the YPJ as the self-defense force of all women, not just Rojava, but also to enshrine gender equality and women’s right to free and equal participation in all aspects of public life in the constitution, and to solidify the status of the women’s revolution.

The intensification of war is linked to the depth of women’s enslavement. As women become liberated, and as the enslaving relationships, way of living, and rules imposed on women by the patriarchal system are overcome, wars and the culture and system of violence will also disappear. On this basis, our strategy for the struggle will be to expand the women’s peace movement and the unity of our struggle. In the face of war and violence directed against women and society, we declare that now is the time for women’s self-defense and peace.

The global expansion of male-dominated hegemony necessitates that women organize on a universal level. The world is now ruled by the ISIS mentality and by caste-based murderers who are enemies of women and children, as revealed in the Epstein case. Religious fundamentalism, sexism, and nationalism have joined forces in the war against women; it is time for all women worldwide to unite in collective organization, self-defense, and the building of a global women’s confederation against this monstrous, male-dominated hegemony. The universal women’s struggle and system will bring about the birth of a free and democratic society. That is why now is the time for women!

Transformation of the Genders

Our campaign also aims to overcome the fundamental contradiction between women and men and the current crisis, and to bring about a transformation in men based on the principles of democracy, freedom, and equality. On this basis, we call on all men who are seeking gender liberation to join the campaign we have launched—which is rooted in the cause of women’s freedom—to build democratic, liberated personalities and a new way of life.

The first historical society created by women is a communal, democratic, libertarian, ecological, and peaceful society led by women. We are faced with the task of redefining history in favor of women and the people by reviving and updating the free and democratic society that we are historically based on. Communal organization—as a system of free, autonomous governance where differences can coexist—is the solution to the social crises and chaos we are experiencing. That is why now is the time for women; now is the time to build communal life!

On this basis, we call on all women to participate strongly in this campaign, to organize, and to bring the process initiated by Leader Ocalan to a victorious conclusion. We call on all democratic and freedom-seeking institutions and women’s movements to embrace our campaign and extend their support.

We celebrate International Working Women’s Day on March 8 with all women who have been fighting for women’s freedom in the public sphere and taking action. We honor our great martyr, Sema Yüce—a symbol of the philosophy of women’s freedom—with respect, love, and gratitude. By carrying on the legacy she left us through her noble act, let us build  bridges between March 8 and March 21 and carry the spirit of the “Now Is the Time for Women” campaign into the rebirth and blossoming of Newroz.