THE WOMAN-LIFE-FREEDOM MOVEMENT IS A REVOLUTIONARY FORCE THAT DEMANDS A WORLD FREE FROM BOTH STATE REPRESSION AND PATRIARCHAL VIOLENCE!

By Hasse-Nima Golkar

The kurdiska slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” (in English: “Woman-Life-Freedom”) is a powerful revolutionary and transformative social uprising that began in the Kurdish regions of the Middle East and has since resonated across the globe. Rooted in feminist and anti-authoritarian values, it advocates for gender equality, bodily autonomy, and the dismantling of patriarchal systems that oppress women and marginalized communities. Woman-Life-Freedom encapsulates the core principles of the movement: the empowerment of women, the defense of life in its fullest sense, and the pursuit of freedom from oppression.

The phrase “Woman-Life-Freedom” has its origins in the Kurdish liberation struggle, particularly within the ideology of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the broader Kurdish women’s movement. It emerged in the context of the fight against both state oppression and deeply ingrained patriarchal norms in Kurdish society. The Kurdish movement, especially in places like Rojava (northern Syria), has placed women’s liberation at the heart of its revolutionary aims. In Rojava, women’s militias such as the YPJ (Women’s Protection Units) have been central to both the armed struggle against ISIS / DAESH (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and the building of a new society based on democratic confederalism, a model that emphasizes direct democracy, gender equality, and ecological sustainability.

This approach to feminism is unique because it does not view the struggle for women’s rights as separate from the broader struggle for freedom and equality for all people. In the “Woman-Life-Freedom” framework, women’s liberation is seen as essential to achieving true freedom for all members of society, making it a revolutionary form of feminism that goes beyond mere reform.

At the heart of the movement is the fight against both state-sanctioned and societal violence against women. In Kurdish regions, women have been systematically oppressed by authoritarian governments, including forced assimilation policies, economic marginalization, and the use of sexual violence as a tool of war. The “Woman-Life-Freedom” movement seeks to address these issues not only by fighting oppressive state regimes, but also by challenging the patriarchal norms that exist within communities and households.

The movement emphasizes that true liberation for women must include autonomy over their bodies, their lives, and their futures. This means dismantling structures of power that limit women’s choices, such as forced marriage, honor killings, and domestic violence. It also means creating new, inclusive social structures where women have equal roles in self-management, economy, and cultural life.

The ideal of “Woman-Life-Freedom” has transcended the Kurdish context and inspired feminist movements worldwide, especially in places where women face similar forms of oppression. The movement has found renewed relevance in Iran, for example, where it became a rallying cry during the protests following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, born on October 8, 2000, a Kurdish woman who was arrested on September 13, 2022 by a police patrol in Tehran-Iran for allegedly violating the Shia Islamic state’s strict hijab laws. According to most of the public view, she was murdered by torture while in police custody. Her death on 15 September 2022 sparked a wave of major protests against not only the compulsory hijab but also the wider system of gender apartheid in Iran, with “Woman, Life, Freedom” becoming a unifying slogan for those demanding for an end to authoritarianism and patriarchal control.

This slogan has since become a global symbol for the struggle against gender-based violence, state repression, and systemic inequality. Women from different regions, cultures, and political contexts have embraced its message, using it as a rallying cry for their own struggles for rights and freedom.

While centered on women’s liberation, the “Woman-Life-Freedom” revolutionary movement is also deeply interconnected with other struggles for freedom, equality, and justice. It is anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, and ecological, viewing all forms of oppression as intertwined. The movement’s holistic approach to freedom stresses that the liberation of women is inseparable from the liberation of society as a whole.

It opposes the violence of the state and capitalism, which it sees as inherently patriarchal, and advocates for self-management, community organization, and an economy based on solidarity, cooperation and mutual aid rather than exploitation. This approach challenges both the oppressive authority of nation-states and the destructive nature of global capitalism, which often disproportionately harms women, especially those in marginalized communities.

The “Woman-Life-Freedom” movement is a revolutionary force that demands a world free from both state repression and patriarchal violence. It requires for a radical structural change of a new social system, where women can live freely and equally, where life is cherished and protected, and where freedom from all forms of domination is realized. As it continues to inspire movements globally, “Woman-Life-Freedom” remains a powerful testament to the enduring struggle for freedom, equality, justice and human dignity.