
Women take to streets demanding equality 

2025-11-25 16:40:31


	NEWS CENTER – Actions and events held on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, called for the fight against male and state violence.&nbsp;

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	The Human Rights Association (IHD), trade unions, the Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA), and the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party and different political parties issued joint statements in many cities.&nbsp;

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	The statements, attended by many women, were made in Izmir, Adana, Şirnex (Şırnak), Sêrt (Siirt), Êlih, Amed (Diyarbakır), Mêrdîn (Mardin), Dêrsim (Tunceli), Colemêrg (Hakkari), Agirî (Ağrı), Îdir (Iğdır), Wan (Van), Erzirom (Erzurum), Mûş (Muş), Bêdlis (Bitlis), Wan (Van), and Qers (Kars). &nbsp;

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	Frequently chanting slogans such as "Jin, jiyan, azadî (Woman, life, freedom)", "Long live women's solidarity", "Femicide is political", and "Bijî Serok Apo (Long live Leader Apo)", the demonstrators carried placards bearing the names of murdered women and children.&nbsp;

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	The statements emphasised that violence against women occurs not only at home but in all areas of society in different forms, and that this is a violation of human rights. They stressed that, alongside the organised struggle of women, the law must also be enforced.&nbsp;

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	Speaking in Colemêrg, DEM Party Women's Assembly Spokesperson Halide Türkoğlu said: "Violence against women is also male state violence against society in the form of violence against women. We have seen and experienced this many times. Today, the guns may have fallen silent to some extent, but the special war policies against women continue." Halide Türkoğlu also addressed the increasing drug use and prostitution in Colemêrg, emphasising that this is one of the special war policies and highlighting the importance of self-defence.&nbsp;

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	She stressed: "If there is a special war and women are being killed day after day, we will protect our lives through self-defence. We will protect our lives by organising. We want to build this life with our own language and our own identity. Today, special war policies are policies that target the women's struggle. Today, at the same time, we are building in Rojava. We will rebuild our lives against this very mentality."

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	Emphasising that this process, in which Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan is a key figure, is also part of the construction of women's freedom, Halide Türkoğlu said, "Yesterday, the Parliamentary Commission went to Imrali and historic steps were taken. War makes us all lose; but peace makes us all win. It is in the hands of us women to show society how to achieve an honourable peace. If this peace is achieved, the all-out war against the people and women will also come to an end. The democratic solution to the Kurdish question requires the release of all political prisoners, starting with Mr Öcalan."&nbsp;