The campaign launched by the Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) with the slogan “Em xwe diparêzin” (We defend ourselves ”will continue with the agenda of the isolation against PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in February and the hunger strike in prisons against it. TJA activists continue to get together with the women despite the harsh winter conditions of winter. Speaking about the aims and results of the campaign carried out in the region, TJA members emphasized the need to organize a self-defense network against the male-dominated system, and the isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in February. 

 

TJA activist Zozan Aksu stated that the work they carried out within the scope of the campaign was fruitful and said, “During this period, we went from door to door, from street to street and came together with women. Our work was fruitful. During this period, women had a lot of requests which they told they expect from us. One of those requests was for us to visit them more often. As the TJA, we have seen our shortcomings in this period. We have made a lot of self criticism in every home we visited."

 

WE WILL DRAW ATTENTION TO HUNGER STRIKES

 

Stating that they will draw attention to the hunger strikes initiated in prisons within the scope of the campaign activities in the new period, Aksu said, “In this process, the isolation and the violations of rights in prisons are on the agenda. Against this, the prisoners in prisons went on hunger strike. Within the scope of the campaign, we will explain the purpose of the hunger strike and how awareness could be raised. We stated that the families should be more sensitive about this issue. Therefore we can say that hunger strikes and prisons are at the top of our campaign work."

 

'SELF-DEFENSE IS A RIGHT'

 

Stating that violence against women has reached the highest levels recently, HDP Şırnak Central District Co-chair Zeynep Salğucak said that they took part in the campaign to say "no" to all kinds of violence against women. Salğucak said, "We cannot stay at home in a period where women are slaughtered every day. We want to prevent this with the works we carry out. As part of this campaign, we want to organize a self-defense network against the male-dominated system and stand against it. Self-defense is right and it is legitimate. There will be no women left in Şırnak that we did not reach," and called on all women to participate in the campaign.

 

'WE WANT TO BE THE PART OF THE SOLUTION'

 

Şırnak Municipality's HDP Council Member Seyran Yiğit underlined that the campaign should be embraced and said, “We want to be the solution force for the problems of women in the region. For this reason, women need to participate in our work and support the campaign."

 

 

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut