DİREN ENGÎZEK

News Center- Women all over the world are getting ready for International Women’s Day. In a period, in which oppression, gender-based violence and femicide have intensified due to the patriarchal mindset, women need to unite more than before. Recently, all women and their organizations discuss how the international women’s struggle should be.

In an interview with NuJINHA, Diana Montsen, women’s rights defender from Catalonia, spoke about the international women’s struggle, the problems faced by women in a year due to the patriarchal system and the struggle waged by women’s organizations.

 The developments in the world since March 8, 2023 make everything more difficult for women, Diana Montsen said, “Right-wing parties got into power in European countries. This situation was not good for women. The reactionary- traditional mindset has become stronger. We can say that this situation causes a global decline in women’s human rights. Therefore, women made great efforts last year to change this situation, the patriarchal system. Women’s movements always struggle against this mindset and are strong.”

‘We want to protect our own rights’

Diana Montsen also made great efforts against the reactionary mindset last year. “This mindset affects all women. Last year was full of wars, conflict and clashes; women, especially young women were the most affected by them. All struggling women stood against this system; however, violence against women keeps increasing.”

Women's movements and organizations stand against the war against the Kurdish people and the Palestinian people, Diana Montsen emphasized, adding, “In many places, people live in war zones. We do not accept this system. We want to protect our own rights. We oppose the right-wing/reactionary political parties and states. They want us to stay at home, do the housework and take care of children. But we do not accept this system.

“The resistance of women, and especially women in Kurdistan, has grown. Women in Europe organize themselves and struggle for their rights. Women should struggle more when they are attacked more. The struggle of women in Kurdistan is a very important role model for us.”

‘The war in the Middle East affects the whole world’

“There is a war being waged in the Middle East and we see and follow it,” Diana Montsen said that the war was not only the war of the Middle East but also the war of the hegemonic states in Europe. “Yes, there is no war in our villages or cities; however, our country provides support to the armed forces in the Middle East. The war in the Middle East affects the whole world. Women are the most affected by wars, conflicts and clashes because they play an important role in their families, societies and resistances. Women in Europe make great efforts to support women in war zones. We want to stop this war for our sisters.”

‘The system cannot respond to women’s demands’

The wars, conflicts and clashes cause more people to become refugees. “Refugees, especially women refugees, face many problems. Refugee women are subjected to all forms of violence. They have to leave their countries and come to Europe. The patriarchal system cannot respond to their demands. In Europe, women’s organizations provide support to refugee women. They try to support refugee women as much as they can.”

 ‘Women are killed everywhere’

Mentioning common problems experienced by women, Diana Montsen said, “The increase in attacks and violence against women is one of the problems experienced by women. Women are killed everywhere. They are subjected to violence everywhere. Femicide rates increase everywhere.”

Pointing out that the patriarchal mindset does not want women to play their roles, Diana Montsen said, “There are always attacks by the states on women activists. They arrest women and use different methods to intimidate them. In Catalonia, feminism and women activists are targeted in all facets of life. A few years ago, feminism was embraced by many young women in Catalonia. They used to say they would protect their rights. However, the ongoing attacks on them intimidated them. This system does not want women to play their roles. Young women face serious problems.

‘How can we create our own system?’

The revolution in Rojava has a great influence on international revolutionary women all over the world, Diana Montsen said, “The revolution in Rojava gives us hope. We saw that the revolution was not a dream. It shows us that we can also start a revolution. The women of Rojava create a new system. Women's confederalism is very important for women; it unites women from all nationalities, ethnicities and religions without discrimination. We should ask ourselvesSo how we can create our own system without discrimination. The system in North and East Syria is a good model for us. Arab, Assyrian, Armenian, Yazidi and Kurdish women live together. These women had different lives but now they live and work together. This gives great hope to women all over the world.”

An alternative against the capitalist system

Speaking about the ongoing Turkish attacks on North and East Syria, Diana Montsen said, “The Turkish state does not want this revolution to win. Undoubtedly, this revolution will spread because it is a good model for the whole world. It first started in Rojava and then spread across North and Easy Syria. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has a system based on democracy. The system in North and East Syria is an alternative against the capitalist system. For this reason, the Turkish state is afraid and the hegemonic powers and European states support the Turkish state. If these countries do not support, the Turkish state cannot attack the region alone. Democratic confederalism will definitely prevail because this system is led by women. In Rojava, women play their roles in all facets of life including politics and military. For this reason, the Turkish state targets women in Rojava.”

 ‘Kurdish women fight for all women’

“We should make more efforts to grow our struggle for March 8,” Diana Montsen said.

“Next year will be more difficult for us. If we, as women, do not play our roles, we will be subjected to more attacks. Kurdish women fight in Rojava, in prisons and in the mountains. Kurdish women fight for all women. We thank them for fighting for us.”