Women's platform launches solidarity campaign with DAA, Iranian protests

The Transnational Democratic Platform for Women launched a campaign to support the protests in Iran and to provide support and solidarity in Rojava and North and East Syria, in a statement titled "A Call to All Women, Transcending Borders, Nationalities, and Identities."

The launch of this campaign comes amidst a wave of ongoing protests in Iran and Eastern Kurdistan for more than two weeks, denouncing internal tyranny and the worsening economic and social crises. It also coincides with the violent attacks on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo, carried out by mercenaries of the Interim Government.

The statement read: “The current protests in Iran are an undeniable and direct continuation of the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ uprising, which was not a temporary reaction but a radical attack on the entire ruling regime, on the legitimacy of its structures of repression, and on its relations of domination. This movement demonstrates that Iranian society has entered an irreversible phase of struggle, a phase in which fear has crumbled and a collective will for radical change has been forged.”

The statement added: “We consider this voice not only to be the voice of Iranian women, but also the voice of all Arab, Baluchi, Turkish, Kurdish, Mazani, and Afghan women, and all women who have suffered the horrors of war, oppression, poverty, and discrimination in Iran, the region, and the world. This struggle knows no borders and is directed at all women whose freedom and human dignity have been systematically violated.”

The statement noted that today, under the severe and inhumane siege imposed on the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods of Aleppo, the cutting off of water, electricity, medicine, and basic services has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, particularly women, children, and the elderly. The statement continued: "We consider the attacks on residential areas, the ongoing threats to the lives of residents, and the collective punishment inflicted upon them to be clear examples of crimes committed against civilians, and silence in the face of these crimes constitutes complicity in the violence."

The statement further explained that, simultaneously, the current situation in Iran, amidst escalating regional tensions and the threat of a military attack by the United States and its allies, is a cause for concern. It added: "We firmly affirm that neither internal tyranny nor external war will liberate the people."

The statement affirmed that women's strikes and resistance in prisons, the resistance of female political prisoners, and the broad, conscious, and progressive presence of women in the streets have cemented their crucial role at the heart of this revolution. The slogan "Jin, Jiyan, Azadî" (Freedom, Freedom, and Equality) has proven that societal liberation can only be achieved through popular organization, collective self-organization, and breaking down relations of domination. Women are not marginalized; rather, they are its driving force and its vigilant conscience.

The statement emphasized that this struggle is not merely an internal protest, but part of a broader battle against authoritarian regimes, militarism, and political Islam throughout the region. It noted the "similarity of the manifestations of repression in Iran, Syria, and other parts of the Middle East," and highlighted the Rojava experience of democratic self-administration, centered on women's liberation, coexistence among ethnicities, and the defense of society, as a living and inspiring model for liberation struggles in the region.

The platform added in its statement, "Today, more than ever, we believe that women's unity across borders and regions, transcending ethnic, religious, and partisan identities, is a historical necessity. Forming joint platforms for women in the Middle East to confront war, siege, occupation, oppression, and patriarchy is not an option, but a fundamental condition for the continuation and advancement of the struggle."

The statement noted that the current protests in Iran, while rooted in an economic crisis, widespread corruption, and social collapse, are fundamentally a challenge to all forms of dictatorship, whether monarchical or theocratic.

The platform also affirmed its full and unconditional support for political prisoners, especially female prisoners, and its defense of the residents of Ashrafieh, Sheikh Maqsoud, and other besieged areas, emphasizing that the connection between the street, the prisons, and the besieged neighborhoods is the foundation for the revolution's continuation.

The statement concluded by emphasizing that in a vision of a free future society, the recognition of the rights of all nationalities, linguistic and cultural diversity, gender equality, and the direct participation of the people in decision-making are indispensable principles. It stressed that the establishment of popular councils, local committees, and coordinated resistance networks is an urgent and vital necessity.

It added: “The time has come for women and democratic forces in the Middle East to unite against war, siege, and oppression, and to build a future where no woman is a victim of power, borders, or weapons. The ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ uprising is ongoing and will continue until freedom, equality, and the sovereignty of the people over their destiny are achieved.”

ANHA