PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS FOR YOUNG WOMEN: A Path Out Of Isolation And Oppression

Mizgîn Avzem

The society of capitalist modernity is soaked in a deeply rooted individualism. This individualism is no accident but a systemic tool of exploitation and oppression which is used consciously by the system and aims to isolate people’s development and their efforts at resistance. Above all, young women are touched by this kind of division, as their struggles are shaped not only by societal norms but also through gender specific oppression and violent hierarchies. The system’s narrative is:

“You are alone – nobody understands you, nobody helps you, you have to fight against the whole world by yourself.”

This isolation is not only maintained by accident or through misunderstanding – it is a structural tool of a system which is fundamentally against women organizing collectively. The system forces women to become weaker and weaker in their loneliness and for their resistance to fade out.

We as young women are confronted with the reality of sexism, sexual violence and patriarchal oppression on a daily basis and often feel failed by the society. The multiple micro aggressions we are living in – be it casual comments, talking ourselves down in our role as women or violent verbal or physical attacks – are normalized and portrayed as harmless. In many cases, acts of violence and discrimination are either ignored or played down and women are pushed to keep silent. This is where the danger of isolation stems from; we start to see our experiences as personal, individual weaknesses instead of seeing the structural reasons for the oppression. We are struggling with enormous inner rifts – feeling like we are alone with our experiences and not realizing that these experiences are part of a much bigger societal problem.

This state of isolation divides the forces of resistance. The system supporting capitalism rests on the dispersion of the resistance forces of oppressed groups so they will not to stand up united against the system. The capitalist individualism is no personal condition of alienation but a political instrument which is dissolving potential revolutionary force in society. It fosters the idea that everybody is responsible for their own well-being and that societal problems can only be overcome through individual effort. This idea is a trap – it hides the fact that young woman’s problems are no individual deficiencies but an expression of a holistic societal and political system with the aim to oppress us and keep us down.

The ideology of collective liberation

The answer to this isolation and division is proposed by Abdullah Öcalan, the Kurdish Freedom Movement’s ideological thinker, whose thoughts and theories highlight the necessity of collective liberation and a broad solidarity movement. In Öcalan’s theory, the question of women’s freedom and overcoming patriarchal oppression are a core matter.

Öcalan sees women as the “key to revolution” because at the same time we have experienced the deepest and most radical forms of oppression and also we have the biggest potential to transform the existing order.

His philosophy is rooted in the liberation of woman not only as a part of a political process, but as the core question of a holistic societal revolution. For Öcalan, the question of woman’s freedom cannot be separated of the question of the liberation of all oppressed peoples and classes. Abdullah Öcalan talks about “Democratic Confederalism” based on solidarity, cooperation and self-administration. This political theory is opposed directly to capitalist and nation state structures which are based on hierarchy, exploitation and violence. With the suggestion of Democratic Confederalism, he is advocating for a society which has overcome capitalism and organizes in a decentralized system not centered around power.

Öcalan’s political philosophy is a radical new evaluation of societal norms to date. It asks for the recognition of us women as society’s leading actors and as the basis of a new social order. For Öcalan, women’s organization is not only a political necessity, but the most important step towards a more just and free world.

The psychology of alienation: the way the system is isolating young women

The psychological dimension of the isolation of the young woman is of decisive importance as it  brings to light not only the external, palpable forms of oppression but also the ones working deeply on the inside.

Sexist comments, reducing women to their looks, constant objectification of the our bodies and understating sexual violence are only some mechanisms causing isolation. Many of us young women believe we have to comply to be recognized and respected. We see our problems as personal challenges rather than collective struggles. Media, advertisements and public discourses continuously repeat: “You have to be perfect to achieve something”, “You have to heal yourself to survive”, “Your problems are only yours and you have to overcome them alone.”

Those thinking patterns lead to a deep psychological burden and a feeling of alienation. We start to isolate ourselves in our experiences and to deny the collective aspects of our oppression. This psychological isolation is maintained by the system which refuses to create platforms for the voices of women and disguises our experiences of violence, discrimination and unequal treatment systematically.

The collective answer: solidarity as the weapon of resistance

The answer to this isolation is not escaping into individualism but lies in collective organization. Us women need a conscience for the collective nature of our experience and solidarity structures to unite our forces. The path to liberation cannot be found in individual struggle but in collective action. This collective movement cannot only encourage resistance against patriarchal structures, but must lead to a fundamental restructuring of societal conditions.

Abdullah Öcalan stressed repeatedly that woman’s collective organization is not only a precondition of woman’s freedom but also that of any revolutionary movement’s success. Solidarity between women, their collaboration and mutual support are the basis of any transformational social movement. The force enabling us women to overcome patriarchal violence and to transform society stems from organization.

Resisting sexual violence, from isolation to solidarity

Resistance against sexual violence is a core example for the necessity of collective organization.  Sexual violence against women is either ignored or trivialized in many parts of the world, especially in patriarchal societies. This violence becomes an invisible part of the social tissue pushing women into deep isolation. Violence can be uncovered and fought against through the creation of networks, victim support organization and collective reworking of experiences. Ideological and political education should always lead these networks, as they build up our ideological resistance against these attacks.

If we find an active way to work against the destructive system together with other women, we feel our agency and willpower rise, which will also strengthen us mentally to focus on our common goal.

Sexual violence must not be seen as an isolated issue – it is a structural, societal problem which is deeply rooted in patriarchal structures and social norms. The fight against this violence needs a broad transformation of society based not only on individual approaches but on a collective answer which gives strength to women in all parts of life. This way, we can empower ourselves to organize resistance and fight it effectively rather than only calling out violence.

The path out of the isolation leads through the creation of solidarity networks and political movements which stand up against patriarchal violence collectively. Feminist movements and autonomous young women’s organizations uniting women from all social groups and geographic regions are able to create spaces of support and resistance. Here, young women can live in their collective strength, share their stories and develop a collective strategy for resistance. This is the key to break the seemingly unbreakable power of the patriarchal system – through solidarity and community.

Political liberation: organized struggle as the foundation for a new society

The political implications of collective organization are profound. Not only Abdullah Öcalan but many global feminist movements see the central role of women’s liberation in the transformation of society as a core matter. For Öcalan, the liberation of women from patriarchal norms and capitalist exploitation is a precondition to any revolution. A revolutionary movement struggling for freedom and the well-being of all humans has to understand the well-being of women as the center of its theory and practice. Only a society recognizing women in their full freedom and enabling them to equal participation in societal processes can be considered as just.

This thought is no bare utopia but a practical political goal which can be reached through the organized force of women. In many regions of the world, we already see examples of organized women’s movements and political parties fighting successfully against patriarchal violence and social injustice. Those movements not only resist against the existing system but propose an alternative to the patriarchal authoritarian structures of the past.

The political and societal transformation that has been created by the struggles of the Kurdish women’s movement contains both the question of political participation and cultural and social emancipation. We have to question and overcome traditional norms restraining women in a close, oppressed frame. This path needs a political and a cultural revolution in order to recognize women as equal actors in all areas of society.

The path to the front: a society of resistance and solidarity

The resistance against sexism and patriarchal violence needs a revolutionary posture surpassing individual protest and aiming for collective organization. This means standing up to daily discrimination and violence and attacking the deepest structures of the system at the same time.

Abdullah Öcalan’s political vision offers a clear orientation for this resistance. His theory of Democratic Confederalism aims for a society based on solidarity, equality and direct democracy. This society will consider women as equal actors shaping the future of society, not as subordinate creatures. Young women have to organize globally as a part of global resistance against exploitation, oppression and patriarchal violence to realize this vision. Women’s movements arising in many parts of the world are important steps on this path. These movements not only struggle for the rights of women, but also for a profound and total transformation of the social, economical and political conditions. They oppose capitalism, nation state and patriarchy in a united struggle.

Women’s freedom is a question of equality within the existing system and also a profound political movement aiming for the change of society’s structures in their entirety.

Collective resistance as the key to freedom

The freedom of the young woman is closely interconnected with the liberation of society as a whole. Struggling young women in the whole world prove every day that this resistance is possible. From the streets of Kurdistan to India young women put their lives on stake to shout “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî”. In Chile, women transform the song “Un violador en tu camino” into an international outcry. In Europe, students and workers revolt against patriarchal structures in education and daily life. In Rojava, women struggle and are the leadership of the construction of a democratic society.

These examples are no exceptions – they are the expression of a global awakening. Wherever us young women struggle together, something new is created: conscience, courage, empowerment – but most of all a collective process that smashes the frame of personal powerlessness. Abdullah Öcalan’s latest message to the youth said for this reason:

“Organize yourselves – and organize others.”