HEDEP Women's Board champions democratic local governance

The Women's Board of the HEDEP (Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party) recently hosted a conference in the nation's capital titled "Women's Life to Free Local Governments." The event saw the participation of numerous women delegates committed to advancing democratic local governance.

Halide Turkoglu, spokeswoman for HEDEP's Women's Assembly, opened the conference with a compelling speech, emphasizing the party's dedication to a libertarian model for women. Turkoglu highlighted the challenges faced since 2016, especially the government's appointment of trustees to local administrations, which she described as an assault on both the Kurdish population's will and the women's movement.

"The trustee appointments represent a regime antagonistic to the peoples, women, diversity, and democracy," Turkoglu asserted, "Our more than two decades of local government experience have fostered a model for gender equality and democratic expression, which is now threatened by these undemocratic interventions."

Turkoglu also pointed out the alarming increase in violence against women, correlating it with the trustee mentality. "In the past ten months, over 300 women have been murdered, with 190 of these deaths categorized as suspicious. The trustee system has infringed upon our rights and undermined the institutions meant to safeguard social life."

She noted the positive developments in Rojava, where Kurdish women have constructed an egalitarian and autonomous community. "The same spirit of resistance and construction against the ISIS attacks in Rojava will be upheld here, against the attacks of a government that harbors an ISIS-like mentality," Turkoglu declared.

As the country heads toward local elections, Turkoglu reaffirmed the party's commitment to the co-chairmanship system, which ensures gender parity in political representation. The conference aims to strengthen the model of local governance and address the broader social issues of inequality, poverty, and youth participation. Turkoglu emphasized the party's resolve to restore what has been unjustly usurped and to remedy the damage inflicted by the trusteeship regime.

The conference concluded with a resounding call to action, as participants pledged to continue their fight against the trustee regime and to advocate for the physical freedom of political figures like Abdullah Ocalan. "We will never relent in our struggle for a democratic, equal, and free life. This model is not only our vision but also a blueprint for a democratic nation," Turkoglu stated, setting the stage for a renewed push towards democratic, inclusive local governance in the upcoming elections.