Despite all the state oppression and violence, Rosa Women’s Association, an active civil society organization in the Kurdish women’s rights movement continues its organized struggle waiving a courageous solidarity against all forms of violence against women in the region.
Rosa Women’s Association, an active civil society organization in the Kurdish women’s rights movement leads a struggle against all forms of violence against women in Diyarbakır and in the region.
The Association, founded on December 29, 2018 in Diyarbakir is one of the few NGOs in the region that specifically focuses its activities on women’s rights. Adalet Kaya, who has worked against violence against women and promoted women’s rights under different institutions, founded the association, along with the following founding members: Ayla Akat Ata, Ruken Ergüneş Özdemir, Narin Gezgör, Fatma Gültekin, Elif Tirenç İpek Ulaş and Yüksel Baran.
Among the association’s objectives are: Leading a struggle against all forms of violence against women, doing away with all kinds of discrimination against women, developing and implementing projects that promote gender equality, strengthening civil society and women’s associations, protecting nature and natural life, promoting and establishing a culture of democracy and peace. The association has supported approximately 160 women who survived violence since its foundation.
Its executives and members have experienced multiple police raids, after which they were taken under custody and arrested. They have been facing trial with the allegation that they are “members of an armed terrorist organization.”
The detention and arrest operations against the Rosa Women’s Association started on May 22, 2020 around 4 am. Rosa Women’s Association members and executives were among the 18 people taken under custody that day, who were later questioned on why they organized an event on March 8 and carried a sign concerning Gülistan Doku’s case. 13 association executives and members were taken under custody on May 22, 2020. 5 women, including Ayla Akat Ata, were released on probation next day and 8 others were arrested. 2 of the arrested were released later.
The alleged accusation brought against them is being a “member of an armed terrorist group” including a statement from an anonymous witness which read: “In order to garner more support for their cause and to expand their membership base, they bring up content concerning women’s rights and cases that attract the attention of the public, such as murders of women and sexual harassment, to portray themselves as a legal organization.”
The second wave of operations
The second wave of operations against the association took place on June 7, 2020. Association executive Gülistan Nazlıer and member Suzan İşbilen were taken under custody. Since İşbilen suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), she was taken under house arrest. Nazlıer was arrested. Association executive Rojda Barış was taken under custody on June 26, 2020 following a police raid at her house. Barış was arrested on June 29 with the accusation that she is a “member of an armed terrorist group.
During their interrogations at the police station and the prosecutor’s office, the following allegations were made: Organizing March 8 protests, creating a convoy against sexism and violence in traffic, organizing a workshop titled “peace, as imagined by women”, holding a press conference against the war, protesting and making statements against policies that promote appointment of trustees, receiving an SMS from the association, collaborating with other NGOs in the province, giving statements to journalists, attending funerals and commemorations and posting on social media.
After these waves of operations against it, 8 women affiliated with Rosa Women’s Association are arrested while 8 others were released on probation. There is a warrant against 2 women, whereas one affiliated woman is already released. The alleged accusation brought against them is being a “member of an armed terrorist group.”
The trials resulted in the convictions of the members with sentencing. Rojda Barış was acquitted of “terrorist propaganda” and sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison for “membership in a terrorist organization”. Narin Gezgör was sentenced her to 7 years and 6 months in prison. Gülistan Nazlıer was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison for “membership in a terrorist organization.” Sevim Coşkun was sentenced to 7 years in prison for “membership in a terrorist organization” and 1 year and 6 months in prison for “resisting the police.”
The president of the Association, Adalet Kaya’s trial, which has started on March 3, 2021, still continues to this day.
“If you are both Kurdish and women, state violence is directed more towards you”
In the last 1.5 years, nearly 200 women politicians and activists have been detained in Kurdish provinces. There seems to be a particular form of oppression towards women. Adalet Kaya says:
“There is intimidation against women’s rights defenders and politicians. They think they can intimidate women more quickly. This is a state policy. Most of those people detained in the last few years are women. Of course, one reason for this is the incredible empowerment of the women’s movement. The dynamics and mobilization of the women’s movement is very strong. If you are both Kurdish and women, state violence is directed more towards you.”
Adalet Kaya points to the fact that all the indictments involve statements and actions related to their advocacy for ending femicides or peace: “In my first indictment, there were the protests organized by the mothers of the detainees and convicts on hunger strike, in Amed. They did it in Istanbul and Kocaeli, and they were subjected to police violence. It was stated in the indictment that I went there for support. My words on women’s struggle and femicides were also included. During all these operations, over 100 women were subjected to investigations, detained, some were arrested, and our friends were imprisoned for an average of three to five months. The same things happen over and over again. The families of all of us are also affected by this situation, as they make house raids in the early morning.”
“We are right in our struggle”
She says that since their establishment, they have been trying to establish good ties with all women’s organizations and platforms in Turkey: “This is a very hard work and has a serious history. The merging of feminist movement and the Kurdish women’s movement has 30 years of history. There has been a consensus on peace from the very first moment. I think this bothers them a lot. It is very disturbing for them that we speak up and struggle together. The women’s movement is growing, developing effective policies together. They cannot attack very easily in the western of Turkey, but they have created a good ground to criminalize us.”
Despite all the oppression, Rosa Women’s Association hold its head high and continue to work with determination. Adalet Kaya explains where they drive their strength from:
“We’ve all been in this war since childhood. We had to migrate from our home, from the places we live in. We came to the cities. I remember my high school years, it was just about being exposed to state violence. I have witnessed that women are most affected by this violence. My childhood, my testimony to my mother’s experiences, my high school and university years are intertwined with violence because of being a woman and being a Kurd. This situation has affected our life, our perspective, everything. Being in the fight is very important to me. I think our anger also keeps us alive. For example, I am very angry, maybe I can’t control it from time to time. But no force can deter me from the path I believe and walk. And we are so right in our struggle, We have lost so many people. Just thinking about them is enough. What we could not see, those we lost, those who lost their lives, those in exile… Sometimes I worry that I have a child, I am very afraid of being arrested, but I still say that we are right and this gives me strength.”