MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed – The policies of intimidation and oppression are still carried out against women in every spheres of life, including at home, at university and in the street. In Turkey, 348 women were killed by men in 2022. Women are killed because they are women. “2023 will be the year of women,” said young women stating that the aim is to silence women against violence, oppression and misogynous policies.

‘We should unite against the exploitation system’

Zehra Tosu, an university student and a member of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Youth Assembly, thinks women should make more efforts against the patriarchal mentality that has exploited women for hundreds years. “In 2022, the rate of femicide cases was alarming. Women have been subjected to oppression and misogynous policies. In 2023, women should unite against the exploitation system.”

‘We should struggle more’

Zehra Tosu drew attention to the war policies carried out in the Middle East and said, “Today, women lead the revolution in Rojava and are on the frontline of the protests in the Middle East and Rojhilat Kurdistan. Women will start the revolution in Bakur (Northern Kurdistan). As young women, we will strengthen their struggle in 2023. The state tries to maintain its existence over the concept of family. We should improve ourselves in every sphere of life. We should unite against special war policies and be aware of these policies. We should be stronger in 2023.”

‘We owe resisting women’

Another HDP’s youth assembly member Şilan Tarlak reacted to the male-state policies against women and said, “We entered 2023 with great anger. We have faced state policies for years. Special war policies are some of the state policies. Today, we are aware of these policies. We entered 2023 with the spirits of resisting women. We owe resisting women. All the policies carried out by the state mentality are cowardly policies. But the policy of exploitation which is carried out particularly in this region, is a much more serious problem. This policy is especially carried out against women.”

‘We will never accept the policy of exploitation’

A young woman, Vejin Biçer emphasized that they, as young women, will strengthen their struggle for freedom in 2023. “In 2022, women were subjected to all forms of violence. We, as Kurdish women, will resist by taking a firm stance to combat violence against women. In such a patriarchal society, women must resist and defend themselves. As young women, we will never accept the policy of exploitation and struggle more.”