ANALYSIS: Kurdish Women and their Struggle for Equality

Kurdish women are largely divided into four regions; Syria, Turkey, Iran and Kurdistan. Their problems and struggles are equally divided. Oppression towards women in these four regions varies, and the great female personalities from these regions have fought, and campaigned for different things. When speaking about Kurdish women, we have to be specific about their region. Oppression and sexism towards women in these regions have operated on different levels, and in different ways. In addition, references to Kurdish women in this context refers to women in the north of Iraq, and south of Kurdistan.

Historically, Kurdish women have lived on an equal footing with men in many areas. Kurdistan was not an industrial region, as it has become. People relied on localized farming. Women worked with men for the survival of their farms, and income. They fought against external forces which sought to create in-cohesion within Kurds and oppress the Kurdish masses. Their support for military activism against oppression was not limited to fighting, but also nursing wounded soldiers, and providing food to soldiers, in this context they acted as military chefs. Women fought defending Kurdish property and livelihood, like men. The “fragile” and “weak” image of women which has been created in the mindsets of many Kurds was almost non-existent when Kurdish men and women relied on each other for survival.

We rarely read, or even speak about great female personalities that were both Muslim and Kurdish. Women were heads of tribes, and even became ‘chiefs'. Some of these great female personalities include Adila Khan from Halabja, Habsa Khan Nakeeb from Sulaymania, Parexan Khatoun from Kurdish turkey. These women are rarely talked about in feminist literature, and within Kurdish circles. This explains why Kurdish women rarely speak about these great female personalities among themselves, from their own lands.

There are many examples which illustrate the ways in which Kurdish women are subject to men, and restricted in advancing their intellectual abilities. The fault does not necessarily rest with men only, but also with women who are complicit with sexism towards them. While the government has attempted to radically improve the image of women in Kurdistan -- the deadly silence among Kurds in speaking out against injustice towards women, for the sake of maintaining a “pretty” international image is silently destroying Kurdish women. Women in Kurdistan are not facing the same oppression and discrimination that western, and in particular Englishwomen did in the past. Their struggles are different because they have a government in power that claims to uphold equality of the sexes, but in reality there is an overwhelming chauvinistic attitude that seeks to undermine female empowerment by restricting women from high positions within the Government, and equal job opportunities.

Tribal influence, and families with great political advantage must not be above the law. The law applies to everyone, regardless of class. When the rights of women, or a particular woman is violated among the “elite” or those with political influence, they must be brought to justice. Equally, tribal leaders must not influence governmental bodies under any circumstances. The advancement of the rights of women in education, politics, and socially that have been made recently should be recognized and appreciated, but it should not act as a basis for disregarding numerous violations to the rights of women in Kurdistan.

In order for women to advance intellectually, politically and socially, it is essential that women start initiatives for the rights of women locally with specific targets. In Kurdistan, researches conducted which attempt to bring to light the situation of women is often overclouded by those who want to create an acceptable international image of Kurdistan when it comes to the human rights of women, even if they happen to be violated. Women themselves would be complicit in covering up, or even attempting to justify heinous crimes against women, with the illusional perception that they are protecting the Kurdish culture. In reality they are destroying the core principles of it by not actively speaking against injustice done to Kurdish women.

Progress can be achieved when men and women recognize that they are equal before the law. This can be achieved through local organizations with specific targets to improve female education, intellectual thinking, and freedom to make their own choices -- in education, political view and religious perspective. These local organizations must focus on governmental institutions, in particular work with the police to not disregard violence against women in the name of “honor” or turn the blind eye through monetary means.