On the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Kurdistan Women’s Community (Komalên Jinên Kurdistan, KJK) sent a message of solidarity to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), highlighting the interconnected struggles against male domination, colonialism, religious fundamentalism, nationalism and capitalism. The message emphasised collective resistance and the recognition of common struggles across different nations but against the same system of oppression.
“Although we struggle against different colonial and patriarchal forces in different countries, we are aware that we are fighting against different versions of the same system. For this reason, we see your struggle as our own struggle and we carry out your struggle in our own struggle,” the KJK said.
The KJK honoured the courage and sacrifice of revolutionary women who have lost their lives in the pursuit of freedom and equality, and pledges to continue their legacy in the ongoing struggle. The KJK highlighted the exacerbation of global crises by the capitalist system and outlines the myriad ways in which this system inflicts violence, displacement, poverty and torture on communities, with a particular focus on the impact on women and nature.
The message criticised the role of nation states within the capitalist system, accusing them of waging an undeclared war against women, societies and the environment. It identified feminicidal attacks not only as attacks on women, but as wider social and environmental degradation, and attributes the current global turmoil to patriarchal structures.
The KJK also pointed to the relentless attacks on the Rojava revolution, a social and political transformation that has led to the establishment of an autonomous administration in north-eastern Syria, and its efforts to establish a women-centred system, denouncing the Turkish government’s aggression and the international community’s inaction. However, the Community remains hopeful, asserting that such attacks cannot deter the inevitable rise of the women’s revolution in the 21st century, drawing strength from her own and RAWA’s resilience.
Emphasising that women’s struggle transcends the fight for gender rights, the message reflected on the recent uprisings in Iran, where the call for Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) united diverse oppressed groups under the banner of women’s freedom as the cornerstone of true liberation.
The KJK concluded with a call for unity, organisation and self-defence among women worldwide, asserting that with nothing to lose and much to gain, no power can defeat their collective struggle for a free life and a liberated world.
