The Kurdish Women's Movement

'Dilar Dirik is one the foremost writers, scholars and participants in the Kurdish women's movement. Her revolutionary work against all forms of state and social oppression and exploitation is unsparing in its truth-telling and expansive in its political orientation - a true people's historian from below' -- Harsha Walia, author of 'Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism' (Haymarket, 2021) 'Compelling [...] As a social history from below, it goes beyond the hype and reveals the radical roots of this movement' -- Dr Yara Hawari, writer, academic and political analyst 'Read to 'feelthink' and to embrace the memories of the historical struggle of the Kurdish sisters against the fascist and capitalist patriarchy. From the mountains, academia and daily life in resistance, their legacy walks towards liberation, healing and dignity' -- Lorena Kab'nal, Mayan Ancestral Healer, Territorial Community Feminist and Community Social Psychologist 'What should a women's revolution look like? With clarity, Dilar Dirik lays bare the thoughts and experiments of the inspiring Kurdish women who for decades having been setting example to anyone fighting for a more equal world. This is an important book for everyone interested in revolution, gender equality, anti-fascist and anti-capitalist struggle' -- Alpa Shah, Professor of Anthropology at London School of Economics and award-winning author

Dilar Dirik was born in Antakya and grew up in Offenbach am Main. She is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford and holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Cambridge. She has written on the Kurdish struggle for a range of publications including openDemocracy and ROAR Magazine. She tweets @Dlrdrk1.

Figures Abbreviations and acronyms Locations in Kurdish Map Acknowledgements Preface Introduction: The Kurdistan women's revolution - A social history from below PART I: HISTORY 1. Mapping the Kurdistan of women 2. The Kurdistan Revolutionaries 3. Berxwedan jiyan e! - The Diyarbakir prison resistance 4. Vejin! - The first bullet 5. Edi bes e! - The dirty war 6. Towards women's autonomy 7. International conspiracy and internal crisis 8. The battle for the PKK's soul 9. Enter Democratic Confederalism PART II: THEORY 10. 'Struggling woman': Ideology and identity 11. Building 'democratic modernity' 12. Jineoloji: 'A science of woman and life' PART III: PRACTICE 13. Stateless society 14. OEcalan: Leader, prisoner, comrade 15. Revolutionizing love 16. Mothers 17. Self-defence 18. Martyrs 19. Prisoners 20. Education 21. Media 22. Ecology 23. Mexmur: From displacement to self-determination 24. Bakur: Women against politicide 25. Basur: 'Freedom is more than the absence of dictatorship' 26. Rojava: A women's revolution 27. Resistance or feminicide: Women against Daesh 28. Sengal: From feminicide to women's autonomy 29. Kobane did not fall 30. Life after Daesh: Women's solidarity in Manbij 31. War and peace PART IV: EMPOWERMENT OR REVOLUTION? 32. Two rivers, two freedom agendas? Notes Bibliography Index