‘It is impossible to pursue the peace process without women’

The Free Women’s Movement (TJA) established the “Women and Constitution Commission” under the slogan “There can be no solution without law, and no law without women,” calling for women to be included in the commission during the drafting of the new constitution. The commission was announced in a statement highlighting women’s roles in the peace process and the steps to be taken going forward.

Emphasizing that the new constitution discussions and preparations cannot proceed without women, members of the commission state that women will actively participate in every aspect of the process with their voices and struggles.

TJA activist and lawyer Sevda Çelik Özbingöl spoke to ANF regarding the steps the commission will take in this process and the importance women attach to the struggle for peace.

Sevda Özbingöl stressed that peace is an urgent and vital necessity in the geography of Kurdistan and Turkey, stating that a democratic and peaceful future must be built under the leadership of women. She pointed out that women bear the heaviest consequences of war and, therefore, they must be the ones to shape the discourse on peace.

Women should be the ones who will shape the discourse of peace

Özbingöl stated, “The call for peace is based on the urgent and vital need in our region, and on the necessity of building peace as a society. This call is directed not only to Kurdistan or the Middle East, but to the entire world. This approach, which includes both observations and solutions, also necessitates a democratic solution to the Kurdish question, our bleeding wound. Of course, women suffer the most from the pain of war. That is why they should be the owners of peace and the ones who will shape the discourse of peace. We view women not as half of society, but as the essential element that will build society’s peaceful future.”

If there is to be peace, women must be part of it

Sevda Özbingöl emphasized that young women, workers, working women, mothers, and women from all walks of life are essential elements of the struggle for peace, stating, “If there is to be peace, women must be part of it. Women themselves will be the ones to speak on behalf of women. We must carry out work that ensures women’s voices, representation, and role in building peace prevail. It is impossible to pursue the peace process without women.”

A democratic society cannot be built without women’s voices

Sevda Özbingöl stated that women see their differences and diversity as enriching this process, saying: “We attach great importance to women’s achievements, differences, and diversity. If a social contract is to be made, it requires women’s participation. A new social contract must address vital priorities such as ecology, the environment, the economy, the reality of prisons, and femicide. A democratic society cannot be built without women’s voices and labor.”

All women should approach this process in solidarity

Remarking that women carry a historical legacy and responsibility in the struggle for peace, Özbingöl continued: “There is a proven reality of women’s struggle to date. In this regard, we feel responsible for the democratic future of our country and region, and we see it as our right and duty to contribute to it. We believe that all women—Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, Circassian, Alevi, that is, all women who represent the color and diversity of this region—should approach this process in solidarity.”

Let us build a democratic and peaceful future together

Finally, Sevda Çelik Özbingöl addressed all women, saying: “Today we are making a start. We believe that in the process that follows, through joint working platforms and solidarity and new women’s alliances in the social and political spheres, we will build a peaceful future, hand in hand. Our call is to all women: Come, let us build a democratic and peaceful future together with our colors, our words, and our labor.”