Statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
As Women of the Internationalist Commune of Rojava we are greeting all of the women worldwide, fighting daily against patriarchal oppression and violence and taking their struggle to the streets . We are standing shoulder to shoulder with you and recognise this fight as a common struggle. The fight for the liberation of women is internationalist and we need to lead our struggle according to this understanding. To say it with the words of Audre Lorde: „As long as even just one woman is not free, I cannot be free.“
Violence against one or more women is always an expression of the systematic oppression of women worldwide. Eventhough this violence and oppression has various faces and shows itself differently in different parts of the world. Nevertheless the violence against women is not private or a single case, but part of the patriarchal structure, which is deeply rooted in the base structure and ideology of capitalism. That is why the fight against violence against women is a revolutionary fight. It is about a lasting change of this social structure and mentality. For this it is important not only to stress, against what we are fighting, but to show also, what we are fighting for and to actively build up these alternatives.
A part of this construction, a part of this alternative, is already happening here in Rojava.
The womens` revolution is one of the strongest powers that is pushing forward the process in Rojava. With Jinwar for example, a village only for women is constructed. There they live, educate themselves and build up their own economy. Together they form a space which is free of mens‘ violence and oppression. We send greetings to the friends in Jinwar, who today are celebrating the 25th of November with the official opening of the village.
Jinelogy, the womens‘ science, is another part of the alternative and the aim to develop a science from the perspective of women. For the liberation of women it is important to make visible and explore the history and the role of women in the society, because this history has been oppressed, destroyed and forgotten for hundreds of years.
The judicial system in Rojava has been changed radically too. Instead of male police and bourgeoise judges, there is a communal justice committee, where women are the first ones being asked if there is violence in the family, marriage or neighborhood. Social conflicts can therefore be solved collectively during women have a leading role in it. Thr aim is not primarly to achieve a punishment, but to change the behaviour and attitude of the people through education.
These are concrete examples of how the women here in Rojava change their reality. It is certain, that the liberation of the society can not take place without the liberation of women. As long as women are not free, society cannot be free. On the situation of women, we can see the situation of the whole society. When women are oppressed the whole society is oppressed too. Because of this everyone has to understand the centrality of the fight for the liberation of women. An autonomous organisation of women inside the revolutionary movement is needed worldwide in order to develop the necessary power and strength with which we will fight for our liberation and take the whole society with us.
An international womens‘ fight is needed, which accepts the differences and is able to strengthen the common, in order to overcome that system together.
We wish all the fighting women of the world success and all the necessary motivation and passion to take on this path together.
JIN JIYAN AZADÎ
