In 2010, SKM (Sosyalist Kadin Meclisleri, a socialist women’s organization in Turkey/North Kurdistan) set out with the motto “Enlightened by gender consciousness, liberated by the women’s revolution and marching to the center of politics.” 14 years later, it has appointed the youngest spokesperson since it’sfoundationas well as the youngest Central Executive Board. The determination, dynamic, creativity and strong will of young women met with 14 years of experience at the congress. It is in these new governing bodies that the strength of this congress is reflected.
In these conditions where the attacks by the political Islamist fascist regime on women’s achievements increase, where female politician’s are arrested for daring to oppose the male-dominated understanding of politics, where massacres on women escalate into genocide, a time where women’s associations are shut down and women are oppressed under the pressure of patriarchal family policies, SKM convened their 7th Congress with the motto “Let’s organize and defeat fascism with our rebellion.” The congress set yet another example of the of the socialist women’s movement unbreakable will and its determination to expand women’s struggle against fascism.
The women’s rebellion developing globally against arising fascist movements and governments, the women’s revolution in Rojava, the Jîna Mahsa Amini rebellion in Iran and Rojhilat, the unrest and anger rising internationally, as well as the stubborn resistance of the women’s movement in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan served as further motivation to organize the congress and strengthened the determination to defeat fascism. The fascist AKP-MHP coalition does not only attack the women’s movement, as well as political women, with coercive means, but also targets the ideology of the women’s freedom struggle, from sides of both liberal and right-wing populist tendencies. In the face of physical and ideological attacks perpetrated by the male-dominated fascist regime, SKM has established protecting and developing the women’s freedom struggle against theoretical and ideological warfare as one of their duties for the upcoming period, alongside not only the gains that women have achieved at great cost, but also the idea of the women’s revolution that creates the ideology of liberation of women both socially and as a gender, the principles of women’s liberation that facilitate allyship between women and LGBTI+, and the principles that determine the color of the companionship established with oppressed sexual orientations and identities. Additionally, it has asserted its goal of increasing the theoretical, political and ideological qualities, pointing to perseverance as a historic responsibility.
The women’s movement demonstrates an unwavering will on the streets. On March 8 (International Women’s Day), prior to the May elections, however, the preposition of ”This is our last banned March 8″ resulted in rupture and stagnation. The Taliban alliance, formed by AKP-MHP regime during the election process, raised its regressive attacks on women’s rights to new degree after the elections. Constitutional debates, the abolition of Article 6284, and the usurpation of alimony rights are just a few examples of this. Thus, finding a way to channel the anger spreading among the masses of women into a rebellion against the fascist regime has become an even more urgent responsibility. Following this offensive, SKM named it their duty to embrace the determination of the Taksim Square on calendar days and to relate it political agendas such as war, colonial occupation, increasing poverty and high cost of living as well. To organize and bring together the agendas of social struggle and women’s liberation, SKM declared to propagate the workers cause to women’s masses and the anti-patriarchal struggle to the laboring masses.
It is an obligation to bring together the principles of the women’s revolution with those of social revolution in order to bring down fascism and establish a truly gender-liberal world.
There’s a necessity to develop not only forms of action, but also a policy to serve this historical responsibility
We must overcome the debates about the women’s strike, which has been reduced to November 25 and March 8, to reveal the role of the women’s strike in combining women’s rebellion and anger with class struggle.
At any turn of the male-dominated fascist regime’s attacks on women’s acquired rights and any of its attempt to hinder the development of the women’s freedom struggle, the women’s strike must be made into a tool to wage this fight.
Social masculinity not only deepens the exploitation of workers and laboring women, but also causes the alienation of workers and laboring men from their own class. If the liberation struggle of the working class does not meet with the women’s revolution, it will not be possible to destroy the bourgeois male-dominated system. The necessity of men, half of the working class, to meet with the energy and agenda of the women’s freedom struggle is one of the most important pillars carrying struggle against the capitalist system and the fascia Erdoğan regime. The pioneering practices of socialist men on this issue, their response to the call for “social confrontation” and their practical self-criticism hold an important place in the struggle against social masculinity and the male-dominated system.
In 2010, SKM (Sosyalist Kadin Meclisleri, Socialist women’s organization in Turkey/North Kurdistan) set out with the motto “Enlightened by gender consciousness, liberated by the women’s revolution and marching to the center of politics.” 14 years later, it has appointed the youngest spokesperson since it’s foundation as well as Central Executive Board. The determination, dynamic, creativity and strong will of young women met with 14 years of experience at the congress. It is in these new governing bodies that the strength of this congress is reflected. It is however not limited to the youth of the spokesperson and the Central Executive Board, but also the determination to meet with the young women’s struggle emerged in the discussions and decisions taken.
The congress, which was held after a long and comprehensive preparation process, was filled with brave and productive discussions in revealing the strengths and weaknesses of socialist women in the last two years. An atmosphere prevailed in which not only success but also failures were collectively claimed, and each comrade demonstrated her determination to organize the new era by way of discussions including both criticism and self-criticism. The fruitful debates, which embodied the historical responsibilities and duties of the women’s revolution program and what it means to be a socialist woman, with unity of mind and direction, deepened with the contribution of each participating member. The will to win the new period of struggle with collective women’s power and women’s leadership arose.
In the past period, SKM, like various subjects of the women’s movement, faced intense attacks at hands of fascists, and the majority of the Central Executive Board members were imprisoned. This shows us the urgency of protecting central organizational mechanisms and expanding organization towards local areas. SKM, of course, realized the urgency of this need at this congress. Localization and making policies together with local organizations, ways and methods of meeting the women’s masses with flexible tools and organizations, creative and rich suggestions were determined as the password to win the next period.
The will to solve the problems, the determination to improve the quality, creative mass actions as well as the actual legitimate means and forms of struggle, socialist women’s common sense, unity of direction, determination to win the new era and the will to fight against male domination within the party were the prominent features in the discussions. Socialist women brought to this congress the arguments they have been making for a long time, that of making people understand the fact that socialist men are fighting in the women’s party, and that this is the main distinguishing line. The limited relationship socialist men have with the political agendas of the women’s freedom struggle needs to be changed urgently. This relationship should be removed from the calendar days and the technical form of relationship and the narrow positioning of socialist women as “helpers”. Socialist men should organize the women masses together, make the struggle among their fellow men against all visible forms of male domination the subject of agitation and propaganda, and give practical self-criticism with concrete examples.
SKM will continue on their way in the new era, guided by the understanding of resisting in the difficult processes of struggle, learning from failure as well as success, renewing with the revolutionary violence of criticism and self-criticism, strengthening the female mind and will, learning from each other, leaning on each other’s strengths and strengthening their weaknesses. This development will further strengthen the socialist women’s movement. Now is the time to bring the common mind, will and unity of direction together with the women masses. The motto is clear: Let’s organize, liberate ourselves and defeat fascism with women’s rebellion.
*Editorial of the 150th issue of ATILIM newspaper, Voice of the Working Class and the Oppressed, dated January 11.