KJK urges Women to build collective bonds beyond state domination

The KJK affirmed that the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is not merely an occasion, but a global call to stand against all forms of male violence, and to reject wars and conflicts that exact the highest toll on women. It highlighted the importance of women uniting and organizing to confront this male-dominated system, and to build a free and democratic society that respects women’s lives and dignity, ensuring their safety and future.

This statement was issued by the KJK today, ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, observed annually on November 25, stating:

“Let us organize, let us unite against war, violence, massacres and rape

On November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we commemorate the victims of patriarchal violence, from the Mirabal sisters, who symbolized resistance, to Rosa Luxemburg, the residents of Cansiz, Nagihan, Gulistan Tara, Hero Bahaauddin, Asia, Sevi, Pakize, Fatima, Deniz Poyraz, Evin Goyi, Hevrin Khalaf, Zelal Hasakah, Pelin, Saliha, Nesrin Amid, Narin Guran, and Rojin Kabaishi — all remembered today with love and gratitude. We pledge to continue their struggle and to build a world based on peace, democracy, environmental life, and women’s freedom.

Violence against women is organized violence perpetrated by dominant male power across all areas of life, causing severe physical and psychological injuries. This violence, both physical and psychological, has become familiar yet hidden within everyday life, affecting women of all ages, social classes, and ethnic backgrounds. A victim could be a child like Sala or Narin, a young woman like Rojin, a mother like Taybat Inan, a politician like Saliha Akkash, an environmental activist like Arfalo Lomas (89), or a Druze woman like Fawziya Al-Sharani who defended her village against HTS factions. Many women worldwide continue to face harm. No identity alone can protect women from organized violence, harassment, and rape.

Despite rising violence in the Middle East day by day, the world in 2025 has witnessed unprecedented escalation of violence amid wars and conflicts from Syria to Gaza and beyond. The number of women victims reached historic levels, with around 86,000 women killed worldwide, 52,000 of them by family members or close associates. Thus, the home, expected to be a refuge, has become the most dangerous place for women.

Organized violence against women as an international policy

A review of state policies toward women reveals a single truth: organized violence against women is an ongoing international policy. From undermining women’s rights in Iraq through personal status law amendments, to countries withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention, and imposing restrictions on women in Afghanistan and Iran. Even in Turkey, religious rhetoric is used to claim that women not adhering to dress codes lack faith.

Religious laws are also imposed on inheritance and other matters. The male-dominated state controls every detail of a woman’s life: what she wears, how she laughs, what she eats, who she lives with, and her reproductive choices. Women are killed whenever they cross these boundaries. Women do not “fall” from balconies or “commit suicide”, behind many of these narratives lies covert male violence. Even when some perpetrators are prosecuted, the violations always reflect state policy and mentality. The essence of November 25 is to stand against this institutionalized, state-supported violence.

Let us say: enough to war policies and attacks under the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom.”

Deliberate violence as the root of women’s enslavement

A deep look at crises in various life domains, from environment and economy to health and education, reveals that their hidden roots are linked to violence against women.

Leader Abdullah Ocalan stated in the Manifesto for Peace and Democratic Society that deliberate violence is the root cause of women’s enslavement, and that the solution begins where this violence started.

The patriarchal system has adapted its tools over time: from stones in the prehistoric era, to swords in the Middle Ages, to modern industry. Yet it persists in every era under different forms: a bearded man with a sword, a man in a suit and tie, a gang leader, or a head of state. Therefore, women must develop collective organizational ties without waiting for the state, which often is the source of violence. What protects women is their organizational strength and social cohesion (communal life). Let us unite against the system that fuels wars, the most extreme form of violence against women, under the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” (Jin, Jiyan, Azadî).

These wars are not ours. Wars are the highest forms of violence, managed daily by the capitalist system and nation-states. In Turkey, despite Leader Ocalan’s attempts to build peace and dignified life, we witness child hunger, one in four children goes to school hungry, while mothers scavenge for food to feed their children, and the government allocates massive budgets to war instead of education and health. In Gaza, thousands of women and children lost their lives, while survivors faced harassment from some aid workers exploiting their vulnerable situation. In Kenya, women face rape while searching for water and food. In South America, despite the absence of conventional wars, women’s suffering is no less than in conflict zones. Everywhere, patriarchal power targets women, their labor, and their needs. Catastrophes continue to strike oppressed peoples, women, and children. In short, resisting wars protects our existence, our environment, our children, and our future. As the Sudanese people say in the face of killing and displacement: “Whoever wins the war, we are the losers, the war is not ours.”

Participation in peace processes as the solution

Participation in the Peace and Democratic Society process initiated by Leader Abdullah Ocalan, strengthening and organizing it, is the way to confront crises in the Middle East and the world, especially in Kurdistan and Turkey, and to prevent the resurgence of war profiteers, mercenaries, and gangs. The solution lies in building a democratic, environmental model based on women’s liberation to achieve justice and equality.

Let us confront the killing of women, both physically and spiritually, in the name of “love.” Women are often exploited, humiliated, and killed by men claiming affection. We, as women, must expose these false claims and confront crimes of extortion and violence targeting women’s bodies and souls. It is necessary to establish clear policies to address physical and psychological violence and build gender relations on solid foundations. Practical guidelines must be set to protect oneself. A man seeking to oppress a woman does not even deserve a greeting. Conditions and standards for any relationship with a man should be established, based on preventing physical and emotional violence, and striving to uphold these conditions under all circumstances.”

A-H 

ANHA