From Women's Protection Initiatives to associations...

 

NEWS CENTRE - While discussions on self-defence are increasing in women's struggle against violence, the Kurdish Women's Movement's evaluations on self-defence draw attention to the formation of units for this purpose in all areas of life, and point to the importance of organisations to be developed from Women's Protection Initiatives to associations. 

 

Women all over the world are preparing to raise their struggle with actions and events on 25 November, the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This year, Kurdish women are also preparing for 25 November with self-defence, organisation and action based on the philosophy of ‘Jin jiyan azadî’. In this context, the Kurdish Women's Movement is trying to put its long-standing self-defence discussions into practice and put them into action. We are compiling and sharing the discussions of the Kurdish Women's Movement on the axis of self-defence.

 

In this part of our dossier, we will discuss how the content of democratic autonomy, which is taken as a basis in the new social construction, also expresses self-defence and how self-defence cannot be developed in every field.

 

The dimensions of self-defence are comprehensive

 

All dimensions of the democratic autonomy project also express the dimensions of self-defence. All areas where the Kurdish people and women have been subjected to historical social genocide are also areas of resistance, self-existence, structuring and self-defence.

 

As PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan stated, "Resistance is identified with existence.’ Therefore, wherever the Kurdish people and Kurdish women structure themselves, self-defence awareness and organisation is a must.

 

It should be aimed to develop a structure in which discussions and decisions are more effective in social structuring and life, and the state should be excluded from the living spaces, at least not be able to enter the neighbourhoods for all kinds of attacks and intimidation, not be able to enter the areas where women live in any way and at any time, and maintain a distance in which it cannot touch the values and areas belonging to society.

 

There is no talk of targeting the state, but the state's relations and law with the social spheres of life must be placed on a mutual basis. The state's control of society as a complete dungeon, the state's domination even in the smallest details of life paralyses the possibilities of free life. It eliminates the grounds for social integrity, trust and co-operation. In this sense, it is important that the state withdraws to its own borders. The neighbourhood has interlocutors and representation; it is legitimate self-management. When we look at it in this context, the dimensions of self-defence are quite comprehensive.

 

Non-violent self-defence unless there is an attack on vital values

 

It is important to establish units responsible for self-defence in every living area, especially in neighbourhoods and villages. It is essential that the unit organises itself to identify the security problems of the women of the neighbourhood and village and to determine priority targets.

 

Self-defence units are not armed units; they are civilian organisations. It is important to develop the civil initiative as the initiative of the neighbourhood or village. Even if it is not official, it is important to establish an understanding and style of action based on legitimacy and fairness and not to force this.

 

It is important to develop a coordinated and coordinated work in order to ensure communication, solidarity and commonality between neighbourhoods and villages and to organise itself as a network. Unless there is an attack on vital values, the development of self-defence that is not based on violence is a point to be considered due to the peaceful nature of women.

 

Defence units against prostitution, drugs, theft

 

Taking defence measures of the unit in the planning of serhildan and protest actions, if necessary controlling the entrances and exits of some prostitution, theft and drug centres in order to prevent them from entering the neighbourhood, and preventing the state from entering the neighbourhood and houses in a comfortable way for oppression, intimidation and political purposes, All of them require democratic, legal and actional organisation within the scope of self-defence, including refusing to allow the establishment of any kind of institution, under any name, in the neighbourhood or locality, which would develop a culture of rape, impair the health of women and children in the neighbourhood, and undermine their power to make decisions about their own lives.

 

 Ideological attacks against women are also a fundamental aspect that must be dealt with within the scope of self-defence. In this sense, the women's self-defence unit needs to organise itself in a comprehensive manner.

 

 Women's Protection Initiatives, associations...

 

For this, it is important to develop very rich and versatile creative organisation models and methods, ranging from various self-defence and close combat techniques, associations to raise awareness and teach women and young women about the methods of self-defence, Women's Protection Initiatives, local periodic campaigns such as exposure and social isolation.

 

Especially in the context of social problems, such as domestic violence against women, if necessary, the formation of persuasion tours with commissions of mature women in the neighbourhood, whose authority is respected by society and whose authority can be accepted; In line with deterrent decisions within the framework of social morality, really comprehensive and very rich methods and tools can be used, such as giving unpaid labour process or trial processes in line with deterrent decisions.

 

In the tools and methods to be used, an approach that does not harm the social conscience and morality, on the contrary, an approach that will observe the honour and fairness of the society in every sense is essential. It is of great importance to insistently stay away from the tools and methods of the dominant system, and to develop methods and tools that turn women into a dynamic dynamic that drives, democratises, changes and transforms society.

 

Removal of obstacles is within the scope of self-defence

 

In the most general terms, the political dimension means the defence of all kinds of measures and the institutional structure for women to organise themselves in a unique autonomous way within democratic autonomy at the local level.

 

Women's participation and will are of great importance in the democratisation of politics. In this sense, women's participation, the removal of all obstacles in front of it, the stopping of all kinds of will-breaking approaches and attacks, and the counter-attack must be handled within the scope of self-defence.

 

This undoubtedly includes many activities ranging from the protection of the representations in women's organisations against all kinds of attacks to the security of the institutions, the creation and protection of the ground where women's assemblies and discussion platforms can freely come together and discuss, and the free expression of their decisions.

 

Preventing the state or any other power focus or environment from preventing or limiting this and, if necessary, overcoming it through democratic action and initiative is within the scope of self-defence. All the grounds and methods of free discussion, collective decision-making and becoming a force of will are vital values of women's social organisation.

 

Tomorrow: Rejecting masculine structuring