Between Nationalism and Women’s Rights: the Kurdish Women’s Movement in Iraq

doi:10.1163/187398611X590192

Home
/
Papers
/
Between Nationalism and Women’s Rights: the Kurdish Women’s Movement in Iraq

Journal Article•DOI•

Between Nationalism and Women’s Rights: the Kurdish Women’s Movement in Iraq

01 Oct 2011-Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication (Brill)-Vol. 4, Iss: 3, pp 339-355

TL;DR: This paper explored an aspect of the micro-politics of the 'new Iraq' by examining the understudied topic of the Iraqi-Kurdish women's movement and argued that nationalism per se is not an obstacle to women's rights in Iraqi Kurdistan.

read less

Abstract: This article explores an aspect of the micro-politics of the 'new Iraq' by examining the understudied topic of the Iraqi-Kurdish women's movement. Drawing on interviews with women activists in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, we describe and analyze their activities, strategies and objectives in relation to Kurdish nationalism and feminism, focusing on the period since 2003. Rather than conceptualizing nationalism and feminism as either contradictory or compatible frames of reference for these activists, we understand debates among women activists as attempts to 'narrate' the Kurdish nation, particularly in response to the realities of the 'new Iraq'. We contend that nationalism per se is not an obstacle to women's rights in Iraqi Kurdistan. Rather, it is the failure, until now, of women activists to engage with the disjuncture between nation and state that could limit the achievements of their struggle.

...read moreread less

Citations

PDF

Open Access

More filters

Journal Article•DOI•

Reconsidering nationalism and feminism: the Kurdish political movement in Turkey.

[...]

Nadje Al-Ali¹, Latif Tas¹•Institutions (1)

SOAS, University of London¹

01 Apr 2018-Nations and Nationalism

TL;DR: The authors explored the relationship between the Kurdish women's movement and the wider Kurdish political movement in Turkey and examined how women activists have reacted to patriarchal tendencies within the Kurdish movement, and explored the ways that the Turkish Kurdish movement has politicized women's rights activists.

...read moreread less

Abstract: Feminist scholars have documented with reference to multiple empirical contexts that feminist claims within nationalist movements are often side‐lined, constructed as ‘inauthentic’ and frequently discredited for imitating supposedly western notions of gender‐based equality. Despite these historical precedents, some feminist scholars have pointed to the positive aspects of nationalist movements, which frequently open up spaces for gender‐based claims. Our research is based on the recognition that we cannot discuss and evaluate the fraught relationship in the abstract but that we need to look at the specific historical and empirical contexts and articulations of nationalism and feminism. The specific case study we draw from is the relationship between the Kurdish women's movement and the wider Kurdish political movement in Turkey. We are exploring the ways that the Kurdish movement in Turkey has politicised Kurdish women's rights activists and examine how Kurdish women activists have reacted to patriarchal tendencies within the Kurdish movement.

...read moreread less

63 citations

Cites background from "Between Nationalism and Women’s Rig..."

...…gender-based struggles, pointing instead to variations within nationalist movements as well as the range of feminist positions in any given historical and empirical context (Cockburn 2000, 2007; Sunseri 2000; Walby 2000; Herr 2003; Yuval-Davis 2003; Al-Ali & Pratt 2011; O’Keefe 2013; Gull 2014)....
[...]
...The differences between women activists in Iraqi Kurdistan relate not only to debates over strategies to maximise women’s rights but also to different notions of Kurdish nationalism, ranging from patriarchal to more egalitarian values (Al-Ali and Pratt 2011)....
[...]
...More recent scholarship has moved away from generalised assertions about nationalism principally being good or bad for women and gender-based struggles, pointing instead to variations within nationalist movements as well as the range of feminist positions in any given historical and empirical context (Al-Ali and Pratt 2011; Cockburn 2000, 2007; Gull 2014; Herr 2003; O’Keefe 2013; Sunseri 2000;Walby 2000; Yuval-Davis 2003)....
[...]
...The differences between women activists in Iraqi Kurdistan not only relate to debates over strategies to maximize women’s rights but also to different notions of Kurdish nationalism, ranging from patriarchal to more egalitarian values (Al-Ali & Pratt 2011)....
[...]

Journal Article•DOI•

Gender Revolution in Rojava : The Voices beyond Tabloid Geopolitics

[...]

Bahar Şimşek¹, Joost Jongerden²•Institutions (2)

Leiden University¹, Wageningen University and Research Centre²

05 Jul 2021-Geopolitics

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the ways in which geopolitics, Orientalism and gender are interrelated in reports about the women fighters of the Women's Protection Unit (YPJ) in Kobane.

...read moreread less

Abstract: Kurdish women fighters of the Women’s Protection Unit, YPJ (Yekineyen Parastine Jin) received considerable attention in Western Europe and the United States. They made the headlines of mainstream newspapers and magazines. The emergence of an all-women, secular military force in the Middle East initiated a multi-layered process of conditional recognition of the Kurdish struggle – a ‘recognition’ in the sense of wide media coverage, but ‘conditional’ since it sought to divorce the feminist approach from its very specific political narrative and then reconnect it with Western liberalism. This paper critically delves into questions of a gendered geopolitics that portrays the Kurdish (feminist) struggle in the US popular discourses while silencing the voices of women and ignoring its historical roots and development. Based on an analysis of articles published in The Washington Post, New York Times, and Newsweek about the struggle for Kobane, we discuss the ways in which geopolitics, Orientalism and gender are interrelated in reports about this struggle. One of our main conclusions is that not despite, but rather through, the portrayal of Kurdish women fighters as heroines–even as angels–the idea of the Middle East was reproduced as a geography of fear, backwardness, and violence. The images of Kurdish women fighters may have superficially appeared to suggest a recognition of their struggle, this is a recognition that works through the presentation of images (portrait) at the expense of silencing the voices of the actors engaged in a struggle for a project that envisages a non-statist democracy. Although the portrayal of this struggle in Western media, in which the image of struggling women is disconnected from their politics, does not contribute to a recognition of their struggle, the women’s enunciation of their struggle in historical and political terms pushes the door for the audibility of Kurdish women’s voices.

...read moreread less

59 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Kurdish migrant mothers in London enacting citizenship

[...]

Umut Erel¹•Institutions (1)

Open University¹

19 Dec 2013-Citizenship Studies

TL;DR: This article explored the mothering work of a group of Kurdish women in London as enactments of citizenship, focusing on their ability to disrupt hegemonic citizenship narratives and bring into being new political subjects.

...read moreread less

Abstract: The article explores the mothering work of a group of Kurdish women in London as enactments of citizenship. Rather than focusing on their integration, it foregrounds the migrant mothers' ability to disrupt hegemonic citizenship narratives and bring into being new political subjects. They co-construct diasporic citizenship, through their mothering work, producing their children's cultural identifications as both British and Kurdish. These identifications are contingent, involving intra-ethnic contestations of legitimate Kurdish culture. Kurdish migrant mothers' cultural work is not simply about making nation state citizens. By giving meaning to cultural continuity and change, the mothers reference multiple levels of belonging (local, national and diasporic) which challenge state boundaries. The article shows that although mothers play a key role in constructing their children's cultural identities and their articulation in ethnic and national terms, they also contest the meaning of ethnic minority cultural...

...read moreread less

57 citations

Cites background from "Between Nationalism and Women’s Rig..."

...…culture and tradition by referring to the authority of cultural practices in Kurdistan, which she claims are diverse and more progressive than the narrow interpretations of tradition in London (for a discussion of contestations of gender and culture in Kurdistan of Iraq, cf. Al-Ali and Pratt 2011)....
[...]

Journal Article•DOI•

Theorising women and war in Kurdistan: A feminist and critical perspective

[...]

Nazand Begikhani, Wendelmoet Hamelink, Nerina Weiss¹•Institutions (1)

Fafo Foundation¹

27 May 2018

TL;DR: In this paper, Tiyorikirdi et al. investigated women's victimisation and marginalisation, but also their resistance and agency as female combatants and women activists, their portrayal by media and scholars, and their self-representation.

...read moreread less

Abstract: In this introductory article to the special issue Women and War in Kurdistan, we connect our topic to feminist theory, to anthropological theory on war and conflict and their long-term consequences, and to theory on gender, nation and (visual) representation. We investigate Kurdish women’s victimisation and marginalisation, but also their resistance and agency as female combatants and women activists, their portrayal by media and scholars, and their self-representation. We offer herewith a critical perspective on militarisation, women’s liberation, and women’s experiences in times of war and peace. We also introduce the five articles in this issue and discuss how they contribute to the study of women and war in two main areas: the wide-reaching effects of war on women’s lives, and the gendered representation and images of war in Kurdistan. ABSTRACT IN KURMANJIBirdoza jin u ser li Kurdistane. Perspektiveke feminist u rexnegiriDi ve nivisara danasiner a hejmara taybet a li ser Jin u Ser li Kurdistane de, em mijare behse bi birdoza feminist, birdoza mirovnasiye ya ser u pevcunan u encamen wan yen demdirej, u birdoza zayend, netewe u nisane (ya ditini) ve giredidin. Em li ser vederkirin u mexdurkirina jinen kurd lekoline dikin, her weki meseleya berxwedan u iradeya servanen jin u calakvanen mafen jinan, u pirsen ku cawa medya u lekoliner qala wan dikin u cawa ew ji xwe didin nisan. Em her weha perspektiveke li ser leskerikirin, azadkirina jinan u tecrubeyen jinan di heyamen ser u astiye de pesberi xwendevanan dikin. Di ber re, em danasina her penc nivisaren ve hejmare ji dikin u giringiya wan a ji bo lekolinen jin u seri di du waren sereke de guftugo dikin: encamen berfireh yen ser li ser jiyana jinan, u nisane u dimenen zayendi yen ser li Kurdistane. ABSTRACT IN SORANIBe Tiyorikirdini rewsi jinan u ceng le Kurdistan: Gosenigayeki feministi w rexnegiraneLem cend wutare da, ke melefeki taybete be jinan u ceng le Kurdistan, hewlman dawe ke kogiriyek bikeyn le ruwangey feministi w tiyoriy antropoloji leser ceng u milmilane w akame direjxayenekanyan le layek u herweha tiyoriy regez, netewe w teruwanini nweneretikirdin le layeki dike. Eme xwendineweman kirduwe bo kesey bequrbanibun u perawezxistini jinan. Le heman kat da mijari berxodan u xorexistini jinan wek cengawer u calakani mafi jinan u weney ewan le rageyandin u lenew lekolinewe zanistiyekan u teruwanini xosyan da. Eme herweha teruwanini rexnegiraneman leser mijari cekdari, azadiy jinan u ezmuni jinan le kati ceng u asti da xistote ru. Lem melefe taybete da, penc wutarman peskes kirduwe w eweman nisan dawe kecon le du layeni giringewe tisk xirawete ser mijareke: karigeriy firawani ceng le ser jiyani jinan, herweha nuwandin u weney regezi jinan le ceng le Kurdistan da.

...read moreread less

56 citations

Cites background from "Between Nationalism and Women’s Rig..."

...Although the safe haven offered new possibilities for women to organise themselves, the political leaders of the PUK and KDP tried to “incorporate tribal leaders, leading to the emergence of ‘neo-tribalism’ in Iraqi Kurdistan after 1992” (Al-Ali and Pratt, 2011: 343)....
[...]
...Subsequently, women’s activism became divided along party lines, in spite of the women’s march in 1994 between Sulaymaniyah and Erbil “to demand peace and reconciliation between the two parties” (Al-Ali and Pratt, 2011: 344)....
[...]
...…activists tend to reject Islam as a frame for their demands and agendas, whereas a large number of Arab Iraqi women are either members of one of the Islamist political parties or are merely pious women [who] advocate women’s concerns through a framework of Islam” (Al-Ali and Pratt, 2011: 351)....
[...]
...As Al-Ali and Pratt (2011) note, “due to the stigmatization of feminism in the Middle East, the terms ‘feminist’ or ‘feminism’ are rarely used and women adopt a variety of labels to describe the objectives of their activism” (2011: 340).3 Kurdish women’s activism had emerged in the late nineteenth…...
[...]

Journal Article•DOI•

Women’s activism in Iraqi Kurdistan: Achievements, shortcomings and obstacles

[...]

Choman Hardi

02 Sep 2013

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss women's activism in Kurdistan- Iraq since 1992 and find out whether 21 years of struggle against gender discrimination has led to notable changes in the status quo.

...read moreread less

Abstract: This paper discusses women’s activism in Kurdistan- Iraq since 1992. It aims to find out whether 21 years of struggle against gender discrimination has led to notable changes in the status quo. It concludes by arguing that as a result of the patriarchal system’s resilience and the women’s movement’s internal shortcomings, achievements have been limited. The paper draws on 7 in-depth interviews with women activists, written sources, personal communications and my observations while participating in activities organised by women’s groups. Calakgeriya jinan li Kurdistana Iraqe: Destxisti, kemasi u asteng Ev xebat niqas dike li ser calakgeriya jinan li Kurdistana Iraqe ji sala 1992e ve. Armanca we ew e ku vebibine be tekosina jinan ya 21 salan li diji cudakeriya zayendi re daye guherinen sereke di rewsa-heyi da an na. Ev xebat di niqasa xwe da digihe we qenaete ku destketiyen di ve qade de bisinor in ji ber berhelistiya pergala patriarkal u kemasiyen navxweyi yen bizaven jinan. Ev xebat xwe dispere heft hevpeyvinen berfireh li gel jinen calakger, cavkaniyen nivisi, peywendiyen kesane u herwisan cavderiyen min en calakiyen jinan yen ji aliye koma jinan ve hatin rekxistin ku ez bi xwe ji teda besdar bum. چالاکوانی ژنان لە کوردستان- عێراق: دەستکەوت، کەموکووڕی و رێگرەکان ئەم وتارە باس لە چالاکوانی ژنانی ھەرێمی کوردستان دەکات لە ساڵی ١٩٩٢-ەوە تا ئێستا. ھەوڵدەدات لەوە بکۆڵێتەوە کە ئاخۆ ٢١ ساڵ خەبات دژی جیاکاری جێندەریی بۆتە ھۆی گۆڕانکاری بەرچاو لە دۆخی باودا. وتارەکە ئەنجامگیری ئەوە دەکات کە بەبۆنەی سەرسەختی و خۆگونجاندنی سیستەمی باوکسالاری لەلایەک و کەموكووڕییە ناوەکیەکانی بزوتنەوەی ژنان لە لایەکی ترەوە، دەستکەوتەکان سنوورداربوون. ئەم لێکۆڵینەوەیە پشت بە ٧ چاوپێکەوتنی تێروتەسەل دەبەستێت لەگەڵ ژنانی چالاکوان و ھەروەھا سوود لە سەرچاوە نووسراوەکان و گفتوگۆی تایبەت و بەشداربوونی خۆشم دەبەستێت لەو چالاکیانەدا کە رێکخراوەکانی ژنان سازیانداوە. وشە سەرەکییەکان : ھەرێمی کوردستان، بزوتنەوەی ژنان، دەستکەوت، کەموکووڕیی، سەرسەختی پیاوسالاری

...read moreread less

46 citations

Cites background from "Between Nationalism and Women’s Rig..."

...Middle East research and information project, 18-23....
[...]
...The article also contributes to the theoretical debate about the NGO-isation of women’s movements across the Middle East (Jad, 2007; Mojab, 2007 and 2009; Al-Ali and Pratt, 2011), specifically whether small and project-oriented organisations can be effective agents of change....
[...]
..., Women and war in the Middle East: Transnational perspectives (98-128)....
[...]
...Middle East Report, No. 239....
[...]
...Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication, 4, 339- 355....
[...]

1
2
3
4
…
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

Collapse

References

PDF

Open Access

More filters

Book•

Gender and Nation

[...]

Nira Yuval-Davis¹•Institutions (1)

University of Greenwich¹

01 Jan 1997

TL;DR: The dualistic nature of women's citizenship, as both included and excluded from the general body of citizens, has been examined in this article, and the particular ways in which the entry of women into the military has been linked to women's equality as citizens are examined in this context.

...read moreread less

Abstract: The article outlines some of the main dimensions in which gender relations are crucial in understanding and analysing the phenomena of nations and nationalism, and the specific boundaries of inclusions and exclusions that they construct. Three major dimensions of nationalist projects that relate to citizenship, culture and origin are differentiated. In each of them gender relations play specific roles and have mobilized specific struggles. The article looks at the dualistic nature of women's citizenship, as both included and excluded from the general body of citizens. Even when there is a formal equality of women in their political rights as citizens, other modes of exclusion in the political, social and civil spheres continue to operate. The particular ways in which the entry of women into the military has been linked to struggles for women's equality as citizens are examined in this context. In relation to national cultures, both secular and religious, the article examines the ways in which wom...

...read moreread less

2,402 citations

Book•

The Nation and Its Fragments

[...]

Partha Chatterjee

01 Jan 1993

759 citations

Book•

A Modern History of the Kurds

[...]

David McDowall

15 Aug 1958

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a survey of the history of the Kurds in the age of tribe and empire, including the partition of Ottoman Kurdistan and the incorporation of Turkey's Kurds.

...read moreread less

Abstract: 1. Introduction: Kurdish identity and social formation. Book I The Kurds in the age of tribe and empire: 2. Kurdistan before the 19th century 3. Ottoman Kurdistan, 1800-1850 4. Ottoman Kurdistan, 1850-1914 5. The Qajars and the Kurdis 6. Revolution, nationalism and war, 1908-1918. Book II Incorporating the Kurds: 7. Redrawing the map: the partition of Ottoman Kurdistan 8. The Kurds, Britain and Iraq 9. Incorporating Turkey's Kurds 10. The Kurds under Reza Shah. Book III Ethno-nationalism in Iran: 11. Tribe or Ethnicity? The Mahabad Republic 12. Iran: Creating a National movement 13. Subjects of the Shi'i republic. Book IV Ethno-nationalism in Iraq: 14. The birth of a nationalist movement under Hashimite Rule 15. The Kurds in revolutionary Iraq 16. The Kurds under the Baath, 1968-1975 17. The road to genocide, 1975-1988 18. Uprising and self-rule. Book V Ethno-nationalism in Turkey: 19. The Kurdish national revival in Turkey, 1946-1979 20. The PKK and the mass movement. Afterword: Retrospect and prospect. Appendix: The treaty of Sevres.

...read moreread less

563 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Woman-Nation-State

[...]

CherrylWalker, Nira Yuval-Davis, Floya Anthias

01 Jan 1990-Agenda

394 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Women, Islam and the State

[...]

Deniz Kandiyoti

01 Nov 1991

367 citations

"Between Nationalism and Women’s Rig..." refers background in this paper

...…have documented across the region, authoritarian regimes may implement measures to increase gender equality and social justice as long as these are perceived to be harmless to the regime and the status quo (Kandiyoti 1991 ; Joseph 1991 , 2000; al-Ali 2007 ; al-Ali and Pratt 2009 ; Hasso 2011)....
[...]