Secret Women’s Committee: Need for organization and cooperation

  • women
  • 15:19 16 September 2024
  • |
img

ANKARA - Stating that the “Jin, jiyan, azadi” resistance exposed the oppression of women, the Secret Women's Committee said: “True liberation requires dismantling the very structures that perpetuate oppression.  We must strive to forge a collective struggle where all voices are elevated, and everyone plays a crucial part.” 

On September 13, 2022, Jîna Emînî was detained in Tehran, the capital of Iran, for allegedly not covering her head “according to the rules”. She died on September 16 due to the torture she was subjected to in detention. After Emînî's death, the resistance spread from Rojhilat to Iran with the slogan “Jin, jiyan, azadî (woman, life, freedom)” and spread all over the world. Emînî's death sparked a great resistance movement not only in Iran but also around the world.
 
The Secret Women's Committee, which was founded in Iran and embraces feminist, LGBTQ+ and ecological struggles in Iran and the Middle East, made a written assessment to our agency on the women's struggle in the Middle East on the anniversary of Emînî's murder. 
 
'ANGER AGAINST THE REGIME HAS GROWN'
 
Recalling the protests organized by Vida Movahed against the compulsory headscarf in Iran before Emînî, as well as the large-scale protests in 2017 and 2019, the committee noted that the news of Emînî's assassination has only amplified the existing anger. “Women and queer individuals who had endured systemic oppression strongly identified with Zhina's plight. When the devastating news reached us, we were profoundly shaken, just like everyone else. We felt compelled to take action, and the mass gatherings at the hospital and Zhina's funeral in Aichi Cemetery made it clear that the streets were where the necessary resistance would unfold.” 
 
'WOMEN ARE CHALLENGING PATRIARCHY' 
 
Noting that women in Iran have been struggling against all anti-women practices since the 1979 revolution, the committee continued  “Throughout this period, many women have fought to highlight women's rights, but we must recognize the diversity within the women's movement - they are not a monolithic group with identical characteristics. The varying conflicts among women from different social classes prevent us from identifying a single type of resistance. Our perspective on the women who protested during the Zhina uprising reflects this nuanced understanding. 
 
Women's resistance against the patriarchal system has been intertwined with a broader struggle against marginalization, centralized power, and the capitalist order. For women, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, their fight against gender oppression is inseparable from their battle against the broader systemic forces that have long kept their communities oppressed and disempowered. When these women raise their voices against the Iranian government, they are challenging not just the patriarchal norms but the very foundations of the social, economic, and political structures that have subjugated them.
 
'JIN, JIYAN, AZADÎ' EXPOSED
 
The women of Baluchistan bravely connected their protest against the horrific rape of a young girl by a police officer to the larger Zhina uprising, bringing the struggles of Baluchi women to the forefront. In a region where systemic national oppression, patriarchal norms, and the central government's neoliberal agenda had conspired to marginalize Baluchi women, these women demonstrated remarkable agency and resilience, an inspiring testament that continues to resonate with us.
While the suppression of women in Iran is not a new phenomenon, the Zhina uprising exposed this oppression to the world on an unprecedented scale. Yet, the global response, despite its widespread nature, has failed to yield any meaningful change for Iranian women. Symbolic gestures, such as cutting hair by individuals outside Iran, cannot be regarded as genuine resistance. This underscores the stark reality that despite heightened awareness, there has been no substantial or tangible improvement in the conditions of women in Iran.
 
COLECTIVE STRUGGLE
 
The true path forward is a struggle that challenges not just the ‘masculine mentality’, but also the oppressive systems of capitalism and patriarchy simultaneously. Mere representation of women in positions of power is insufficient; true liberation requires dismantling the very structures that perpetuate oppression. What will unite women's resistance globally is not just their gender, as the concept of ‘sisterhood’ between oppressors and the oppressed is meaningless. Rather, their connection must be forged around a progressive, transformative vision for the future.
 
The co-option of the powerful ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ slogan by reactionary forces who prioritize superficial alliances with celebrity women is deeply concerning. We must critically identify and amplify the women's struggles that are authentically committed to dismantling the existing oppressive order and building a transformative new vision.
 
 
The idea of women worldwide uniting may seem idealistic and impractical as the internal contradictions within such a vast organization could lead to the establishment of power hierarchies and the reproduction of dominance. However, we believe the struggle must be collective and aimed at liberating all oppressed people. Women and LGBTQ+ groups can learn from each other's progressive struggles and strengthen one another by sharing experiences and strategies. Just as oppressive systems globally advance certain interests, we need collective organization and collaboration to counter them. This is only possible through self-criticism and defining a shared struggle rather than recreating hierarchies of dominance. We must strive to forge a collective struggle where all voices are elevated, and everyone plays a crucial part. This approach not only fortifies us against oppressive forces but also empowers us to envision and fight for a more equitable and just world.”
 
MA / Hivda Çelebi
 

View More Articles

02/10/2024
14:53 Seriously ill prisoner Abdulkadir Kuday dies
14:35 Spread all over the world in one year
13:56 Isolation after conspiracy: Violations every second in İmralı
01/10/2024
15:10 10 arrests in child rape investigation: Impunity corrupts
14:05 Prisoner in action against violations: Families must call the prison
14:04 Lawyers applies to meeting with Abdullah Öcalan
13:35 Violations increase in Serhat prisons, isolation deepens
10:24 Resistance of Kurds against conspiracy
09:49 Organizers of 'Freedom for Öcalan' campaign call for action
30/09/2024
13:03 Stand of Abdullah Öcalan against conspiracy
12:53 Anti-war declaration by DEM Party Women's Assembly
12:49 Xwebûn published: 'Make a great Fuss'
26/09/2024
19:06 Penalty demand for protesting femicide
14:24 Prisoner journalist Ezîzî hospitalized
13:14 Lawyers applies to meeting with Abdullah Öcalan
12:47 Journalist Yurtsever: Turkey has moved from occupation to annexation
12:46 Detention period of Kurdish instructors extends
12:27 Construction begins on dam that destroy history
25/09/2024
11:52 Bafil Talabani: Ruling party sold Kurdistan land to Kurdish enemies
11:42 Conflict in rural Şax
10:34 Prisoner artists on hunger strike weigh less than 38 kilos
10:03 Military operation in Şax
09:48 Absolute isolation in İmralı its 43rd month: 600 applications inconclusive
23/09/2024
15:04 Call to international organizations in 'Speak up for freedom' protest
13:11 Call for Abdullah Öcalan's 'right to hope': Start violation procedure
13:09 'We will continue to fight against impunity policies'
12:26 Interior Ministry assigns inspectors for Zarokistan
11:17 Iran blocks treatment imprisoned journalist Ezîzî
11:17 'Nolle prosequi' for suspicious death in prison
10:52 Xwebûn: 'People’s organization is a must'
19/09/2024
15:55 Feray Şahin murdered by police commemorated
15:43 Emine Senyaşar hospitalized in her prevented protest
15:38 Protest of Emine Şenyaşar in Parliament prevented
15:29 Karabuk Prison report: 17 prisoners not released
12:34 Treatment prevented to prisoner who refuses strip search
11:55 Lawyers applies to meeting with Abdullah Öcalan
11:53 Warplanes bombed villages in Qendil
11:51 Not examined due to she does not know Turkish
11:40 Prisoners and families in isolation
10:08 Decision of 'rejection of venue' in 'Return to Life' Operation
18/09/2024
17:25 Military operations in rural Licê
17:24 Application for violations in Kırşehir Prison
17:11 'Freedom' protest in front of prison: End the isolation
13:05 Iranian regime detains 5 Kurdish citizens
13:02 Journalist Serdeştî: KDP building road to Turkey
17/09/2024
09:33 Lawyer meets with ill prisoner Kuday: We may get bad news any moment
09:32 'Right to hope' of Öcalan on Committee of Ministers' agenda
16/09/2024
15:19 Secret Women’s Committee: Need for organization and cooperation
15:18 Xwebûn published: 'Always jin, jiyan, azadî'
14:18 Over 1500 lawyers form 35 countries sends Abdullah Öcalan letter to Ministry