Safiye Alağaş

 

DİYARBAKIR - Rosa Women's Association, which was established in Diyarbakır in 2018, has supported women both in Diyarbakır and in other cities of the region since its establishment. Adalet Kaya, chair of the association, explained the two-year struggle and continued as follows: ''Because we did not give up the struggle, we reorganized and stayed in the field. We grew up and multiplied. Fortunately there is Rosa. Rosa gave us great strength. "

 

In 2016 a state of emergency in Turkey was declared. In this context, with the Decree Laws was applied. With it, many women's institutions, including Kongreya Jinên Azad (KJA), were closed. The institutions that were not closed were turned to dysfunctional. Trustees were applied in many municipalities  belonging to Democratic Regions Party (DBP). The women's institutions belonging to municipalities of the BDP were turned dysfunctional. After closure of these institutions, male violence increased. Women could not find an institution for their problems.

 

Due to the closure of women's institutions and the increasing male violence, women in Diyarbakır took action to open alternative women's institutions. As a result of this work, a group of women announced the establishment of the Rosa Women's Association on December 29, 2018. Rosa Women's Association was established to prevent violence against women and child abuse and to ensure women's solidarity. Adalet Kaya, one of the founders of the association and the chair of the association, talked about the last 2 years.

 

'Organizing is one of our biggest needs'

 

Stating that they decided to establish Rosa as a result of a great need in 2018 in July , she reminded that there was no women's institution that could work due to the state of emergency and trustee policies. She stated that while the state of emergency still continues, the violence against women increased during the period when women's institutions were closed or they were turned to dysfunctional. She said, ''There is no clear data for that period. However, there was a very serious political massacre. There were too many violations of rights with the trustees. As a result of what happened, we discussed establishing an association based due to a big need. We made all our preparations. We opened our association on December 29, 2018. It was the end of the year. Some of our friends even asked why we didn't wait for a few more days. We couldn't wait because it was an urgent need. Again at that time, hunger strikes had just begun. Mothers were visiting us. We were impressed by their struggle and therefore we had to establish Rosa quickly. Organizing is one of our most basic needs. Association has also given us strength. "

 

'Organization strengthened us'

 

Emphasizing that one of Rosa's goals is to develop preventive policies in fighting violence against women, Adalet said that another aim is to reflect the policies they have developed to the society. Stating that they are still working in this direction, she continued as follows: "After we started working, our activities have diversified. Since there is no institution, we started receiving so many applications. We realized that there is a huge need for women's institutions. We received the applications and started to work in this direction. It was really hard for us at the beginning. Because there were no institutions. All organized institutions and structures were dissolved by the government.  We tried to create a reorganization because the organization would strengthen us. We also held meetings with all women's councils or structures in the mixed institutions in Diyarbakır and formed a Network Against Violence together with all women's organizations that received violence. Our goal in creating this network is to create a violence score. This is very important for both international and judicial mechanisms. This network has strengthened us in many ways. We solve problems for women together. We solve legal, psychological or women's shelter problems together. In this respect, it has been very valuable to create this organization. "

 

'We took over a legacy'

 

Underlining that they carry out many actions and activities with all women's structures, Adalet stated that their main purpose is to develop preventive policies. Emphasizing that they established a commission to carry out internal diplomacy work she said, "From the first day we've contacted the Turkish feminists and Turkey women's movement. We have many preventive policies in common with Turkish feminists and women. In the face of some aggressive and misogynist policies created by the political power, we are all harmed with the same feeling and the same spirit, or we feel the same anxiety for the victim of violence. So working together made us stronger. They were very welcoming, because we took over a legacy and we had communication with each other outside of the association. When the Kurdish women's movement was taken as a reference, they believed and trusted us very easily. Especially during the pandemic process, we studied and worked online. Our relationship became very strong at that time. "I think the biggest benefit of the pandemic for women was to strengthen women's ties with each other."

 

 'The government want to create a memorylessness' 

 

Evaluating the attacks on Rosa, Adalet said, "We started receiving applications. Our actions and activities spread and became effective. In particular, we had the Purple Black action. Our action spread a lot through the discourse we created. It even spreads to Europe. Because it was a social need. We pioneered the society's need to speak.  The government wanted women to be in narrow spaces. During the state of emergency, curfew was also carried out for this purpose. We did not give up the struggle, we reorganized and were in the field. We prepared data reports. The state actually does not want these reports to be produced. They want to create a memorylessness. This is one of the most important causes of attacks on us. They were disturbed by the bond we established with Turkish women. They don't want us to have a bond with them. This bond disturbs them very much. These effects we created frightened the state, and therefore they attacked Rosa. Of course, one of the reasons we were attacked is due to our multiple identities. We are Kurds, we are women and we defend women's rights... They attack us to frighten women from Turkey.’’

 

'We're still excited'

 

Adalet pointed out that they were carrying out awareness-raising activities against the massacres of women and that peace was a right. She said that peace was a fundamental right for people. Underlining that as a society they have been seeking the right to peace for years, she emphasized: " We have been producing very serious policies for years. During the process, we were shaped by the agenda. There were hunger strikes initiated by Leyla Güven. There were strikes initiated by mothers. We have worked on these. Again, the appointment of the trustees came up. We studied on this. The agendas that came before us were actually in our field of work. We created an awareness. We emphasized that violence against women was not independent from the state. Every work we did had a huge impact on society. We are still excited about our work. "

 

'Suspension or trustees may come'

 

Stating that they will continue their work in the field, Adalet drew attention to the new regulation that introduced the appointment of trustees to associations. She said, '' We are now waiting on how the law will be run. How will we be affected by this law? We are currently in discussion with women's organizations and other non-governmental organizations. There is a phrase in the law regarding the financing of terrorism. There are more restrictions on funds and grants received, but they have no such concerns with Rosa. There are cases against all of us. There is a lawsuit filed against me as the chair of the association. It can go as far as suspension or appointing a trustee. We discuss what we can do about it. Supervision authority has been developed; even the imam of a mosque can supervise the association. It completely depends on the authority given by the ministry. This is an absurd thing. It's really hard to accept it. You will be supervised by someone appointed by them once a year, not by those who are skilled in the business. The duration of the supervision is more frequent. The lower and upper limit of the fines to be imposed as a result of the supervision has become very high. We are talking about a law that is about millions. We do not know for what purpose they are aiming to impose such large fines.

 

'Fortunately there is Rosa'

 

Stating that they will not back down from the struggle despite all these, Adalet said, "We will continue our struggle everywhere. After the trustee appointments, we have said that we need independent areas from the municipalities. There are also interventions for the independent spaces we have created. But we will not give up our struggle. Fortunately, we established Rosa. We will conduct a hashtag  #İyiKiRozaVar (Fortunately there is Rosa). Many women's organizations also said to us, "Fortunately, there is Rosa." We are proud. Because we reached to many women and children.  We grew and multiplied. Rosa gave us great strength. Fortunately there are women. "