Helen Ahmed

Sulaymaniyah — Leader Abdullah Öcalan was born on April 4, 1948. With his birth and the philosophy he carried, he rewrote Kurdish history in the region by shedding light on the tragedy of a people whose homeland was divided among four states, distinguished by making women's freedom the foundation of the people's freedom.

Millions of women believe in the thought of leader Abdullah Öcalan — not only in Kurdistan but in many countries across Europe, South America, and the Middle East — despite campaigns of distortion. Thanks to him, these women came to know their true history and acquired a special science, "Jineology" (the science of women), which examines history from a woman's perspective, criticizes sociology that marginalizes women and their historical presence, and also highlights unwritten history and the matriarchal era that preceded the founding of civilizations — an era that women still preserve in many rituals and customs today, though many do not know it has historical roots dating back to the beginning of life.

The Ideology of the Free Woman

Lawyer Jero Shwani from the city of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region affirms that leader Abdullah Öcalan rendered a great service to women, and his birth represents a new birth for them. She explains that with his birth came multiple new births: "Every stage of his struggle is like a new birth, but his struggle and resistance were like a new birth for the life of the Kurdish people. After modern capitalist system destroyed life, the democratic national system embodied in the project of the democratic nation became a new birth for the Middle East, and this project will thwart all the occupiers' schemes."

She believes that this democratic system proposed by leader Öcalan is "the reason for the collapse of the hegemony established by the occupying forces," and that with the birth of leader Öcalan, "a new ideology was born" — an ideology that "protects women, is based on their freedom, and also on protecting the environment."

Under this ideology, our interlocutor explains, women have been able to achieve their own identity and learn their history: "Women and their status have faced opposition for five thousand years. The birth of leader Öcalan has given us a free life and a deeper understanding of women. When we women are able to grasp the science of women (Jineology), we can renew our lives based on our heritage as women."

"Free Thought Brings Freedom of Land and Body"

Jero Shwani added that in every era, a freedom fighter is born, and the birth of leader Abdullah Öcalan is "like the savior of this century, who awakened the Kurdish people's consciousness of their rights."

She affirms that thanks to the ideology he presented, women should lead revolutions and resistance: "Through this ideology, women will achieve their accomplishments and will be able to freely return to their history. This thought has helped us witness the struggle of women in Rojava and their defense of their lands."

As she says: "Women's freedom is linked to intellectual freedom, which enemies have unfortunately tied to physical freedom. There is no freedom for the body unless the mind is free. Free thought leads to freedom of land and body. Free thought is capable of creating a free life for women and enabling them to wage a free struggle for themselves and their land. Today, the struggles of Kurdish women have reached all corners of the world, and Kurdish women are considered a model to emulate in resistance."

Jero Shwani says that leader Abdullah Öcalan's struggle was not limited to North Kurdistan but extended to Rojava, East Kurdistan, and the Kurdistan Region, explaining that "the support of the people of the Kurdistan Region for the rest of Kurdistan's parts is the essence of this ideology, which succeeded in reviving the national spirit in the Kurdistan Region. North Kurdistan, due to its geographical location, contains the largest number of Kurds, and the freedom of this part will impact the rest of Kurdistan. Therefore, leader Öcalan linked the freedom of North Kurdistan to the freedom of all parts of Kurdistan."

"A New Birth for Women"

In conclusion, lawyer Jero Shwani spoke about the impact of leader Abdullah Öcalan's thought on the issue of women's freedom: "Leader Öcalan's model for us women is a revival of life. We must struggle for women's intellectual freedom. Women have reached a level of self-confidence that constitutes a new birth for them. Today they can lead the struggle, and they must not fall into the trap of the invaders by being exploited as commodities. They must take their steps toward freedom."