They met for peace and said ‘continue the struggle’

2025-04-07 10:47:10


	 

	Rozerin Gültekin

	 

	ISTANBUL - Esra Kahraman from the "I need peace" initiative stated that women have been struggling for social peace for years and emphasised that wars feed inequality, while women defend peace for an equal and free life.

	 

	A workshop titled "Women speak for peace” was held in Istanbul on 22-23 February. Afterwards, the "I Need Peace Women's Initiative" was established. Esra Kahraman, a member of the initiative, made evaluations on what kind of peace women are in favour of and the importance of the common women's struggle in peace processes.

	 

	From the ‘Don't Touch My Friend’ campaign to today...

	 

	Underlining that women from different ideologies, cultures and geographies have been struggling together for the democratic solution of the Kurdish question, the construction of peace and the socialisation of peace since the 90s, Esra Kahraman said, "While women were weaving the struggle, they were aware that democracy and peace would not automatically bring women's freedom and equality; this could only be achieved through a social transformation. For this reason, the ground of peace was seen and defended as the ground that would create the possibility for the growth of women's struggle for freedom and equality and the socialisation of the gains. This joint struggle, which started in 1994 with the ‘Don't Touch My Friend’ campaign, continued in 2009 with the observation delegations, conferences, reports and campaigns of the Women's Initiative for Peace and the Women's Freedom Assembly. Women organised everywhere from Patagonia to Baluchistan, India, Afghanistan and Rojava and tried to force states to peace on the basis of equality and democracy. With this initiative, as those who say ‘I Need Peace’, we are setting out again to remember why women need peace both individually and collectively, to remind, to tell each other and to enlarge our contact areas, to take responsibility for peace, to be the subject of this peace."

	 

	Women struggle as subjects in the construction of peace

	 

	Pointing out that women have been tried to be kept away from the negotiation tables established for peace throughout history, Esra Kahraman underlined that it is critical by whom the peace processes are managed and therefore women are struggling to be a subject in the construction of peace. Esra Kahraman said, "Women have never stopped talking about peace. Although war is generally seen as weapons, in fact, as we have seen on grounds where there are no weapons, war policies have often been continuous. For example, the murder of Fatma Altınmakas, who could not receive public support in her mother tongue, being subjected to all kinds of racism for speaking in her mother tongue, impunity policies towards perpetrators of violence against women, inequality and violence policies are also war practices. Without a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey, women's gains have not been guaranteed and have been under attack. Therefore, this initiative will produce our answers for the democratic and egalitarian solution of the Kurdish question by asking ‘What kind of a common struggle together as women?’ and by saying ‘I need peace’; by arguing that the struggles for democracy and peace must be united, by organising this promise in rings and by filling in the bottom together."

	 

	‘Wars feed inequality’

	 

	Esra Kahraman stated that the initiative carries out activities in Turkey and Kurdistan and emphasised that the initiative aims to strengthen the women's alliance. Esra Kahraman said, "Socialist women's movements, feminist women's movements, Kurdish movement, pious women... In other words, we can say that the initiative is a meeting of women's movements on a common ground. We attach great importance to the fact that the initiative is inclusive of all women and women's movements, regardless of their political views. Women want a peace based on freedom, equality and democracy. It is necessary to understand the question ‘Why do I need peace?’ well. Peace is possible only through struggle together. Peace is possible through struggle on a common ground, regardless of one's opinion. Wars foster inequality; women struggle for a free and equal life. Regardless of whether there are hot wars in daily life or not, militarism and violence feed each other and affect women the most with different practices. In this context, women's struggle and the struggle for peace against war are closely linked. Monist policies based on gender inequality are distancing everyone's lives from equality and freedom. For this reason, the socialisation of peace is of vital importance for everyone."

	 

	They will answer the question ‘Why do I need peace?

	 

	Esra Kahraman finally said the following: "We are aware that the expansion of the initiative and women becoming the subjects of peace is important for the socialisation of peace. For this purpose, we aim to organise workshops and interviews in many different provinces of Turkey; we aim to establish peace lecterns and enlarge our words from these lecterns. We will work to answer the question ‘Why do I need peace?"