The Kurdish Women’s Association was established in 1919 in Istanbul. In the geographical region, while women were forbidden to leave their homes, let alone go to schools, Kurdish women studied medicine at the best schools, and established associations to seek women’s rights.
The first organization was founded in the 20th century, in 1919, by Encam Yamulki.
The Society declared that it would accept all women to membership regardless of sectarian difference. According to its regulations, the Association was aiming to provide a civilized view and advancement of Kurdish women, to make institutional and social arrangements in the Kurdish family life, to help the Kurdish orphans and widows who became miserable due to the 1915 Armenian massacre and to save them from misery.
For this purpose, the Society would publish newspapers, magazines, books and treatises, open libraries and discussion rooms everywhere and organize conferences and lectures.
The first action of the Society was to read a Mevlid-i Sharif in Sultanahmet Square. At the end of this, on 21 June 1919, the president of the society, Encam, who made a speech at the time, said:
“My beloved Kurdish sisters, today we want our rights at a time when all nations take different forms and give everyone a right because there are millions of Kurds and there is a great Kurdistan.
We owe thanks to all of our existence to those who want to work for the most sacred purposes and to those who prove their love for their nation with their sacrifices.
Our esteemed sisters and brothers who came to the opening ceremony of the Society promised that they would support in every way and that they would do without hesitation what should be done for the rise of Kurdishness.
Long ago, the phrase ‘Kurds do not break their promises’ has been a proverb. I believe with my conviction that the Kurdish does not promise everything, but when he does, he does not break his promise… ”
ORGANISING
According to the regulation, the Kurdish Women’s Association was established as a centre, which is located in Istanbul. The aims of the Society vary from ensuring that Kurdish women rise and advance from a civilized point of view, to make institutional and social arrangements in Kurdish family life, to find jobs for Kurdish orphans and widows who became miserable due to the Armenian Relocation and the subsequent forced migration.
Salvation has been shown as the main aims of the Kurdish Women’s Association. In order to achieve these aims the Society puts out newspapers, magazines, books and treatises in branches, libraries and discussion halls opened in various parts of the Ottoman Empire. A conference would be organized and lectures would be given to the members of the society.
The fourth of the founding regulations of the Kurdish Women’s Association permits that all kinds of initiatives and activities to be carried out under the leadership of the society in order to realize the aims of the society, as well as an important task that falls on all the members of the community, is specified. Accordingly, “every Kurd nurse will take advantage of the opportunities that will emerge for the purpose of the community, and will perform the suggestion necessary.”
In addition to the activities they undertake under the leadership of the society, all members are expected to benefit from all opportunities in front of them and make the necessary propaganda for the society on behalf of the society. Subsequently, it has been clearly explained what the Kurdish Women’s Teams Association understood from the propaganda that it called suggestion: this suggestion would employ national judgment. In other words, this propaganda will be made by the members of the Kurdish Women’s Association in order to make use of every opportunity that they face.
ALL GENDERS AND SECTS
All Kurdish women can become members of the Kurdish Women’s Association Association, regardless of gender and sect. In addition to Kurdish women, the principle of accepting members of the Kurdish community as Kurdish-loving women was adopted. It is also emphasized that Kurdish women and other “Kurdish-loving women” who want to become members of the Society, that their personal reputation and honour must not have become a subject of discussion.
FUNDS
All kinds of donations are to be made by the members of the Kurdish Women’s Association Society, all kinds of gains from the activities and initiatives of the Society, and all the personal efforts and efforts of the members of the Society will be aimed at the achievement of the aims of the Society. Any Kurdish woman who accepts the aims of the society, who has dignity and honour, can become a member of the society.
All women who are members of the Kurdish Women Association are required to pay an entrance fee which is commensurate with the economic power and social position of the candidate who enters the society “with the financial power and position”. This entry fee, which will be paid only once, is stated in the statutes of the society where there will be at least twenty cents, but there is no upper limit on the entrance fee.
In addition, each member has to agree to pay monthly wages to the community administration, which vary according to his or her solvency and begin at least seventy cents. The members of the Society are of two types: “azâ-yı müessise”, ie the founding members and “âzâ-yı tabi’îyye”, ie other members who later joined the community.
A number of members who will be elected from among the “azâ-yı müessise”, who have established the Kurdish Women’s Association, formed the ‘hey’et-i idâre,’ which has no direct say on community management. However, some important powers such as supervising the activities of the community, enlightening and directing the board of directors of the society, and calling the general assembly to the meeting, if necessary, were left in the hands of the ‘hey’et-i idâre’, which was stated to be the most supportive members of the Kurdish Women’s Association.
The responsibility of supervising the accountant, who is responsible for carrying out all kinds of monetary affairs and keeping accounts of the Kurdish Women’s Association is also the role of the hey’et-i idâre. The hey’et-i idâre and hey’et-i umûmiye in the society are equipped with the authority to supervise the accountant of the society and the hey hey’et-i idâre which is obliged to supervise it on financial matters.
It is also the responsibility of the hey’et-i idâre to ensure that the general members meeting of the Kurdish Women’s Association is held at the end of each year. At least fifteen days before the date of the meeting, the place, day and time of the meeting must be announced to all members.
LIQUIDATION
With the start of the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, the Kurds Women’s Association argues that Islam, which holds various ethnic groups together, is not sufficient as a unifying element and that the Kurds should draw a separate path from the Turks.
It was stated at the first meeting of the Society that included separatist elements. “Here are the ladies,” says Encam Yalmuki, “those who are part of this community are the Kurds and the Kurdish-lovers.” Encam Yalmuki, who defends the efforts of Şerîf Pasha, who is leading the Kurdish Women’s Society from Paris, concludes his speech with the following words:
This Mevlûd-i Şerîf is the first contact with the esteemed ladies who are Kurdish and love the Kurds. I hope that many, conferences, theatres and other opportunities like this arise to introduce us to each other and from this meeting, good interests arise for our nation.
The Society needs sacrifice from you to cover the wounds of the nation. If every Kurd extends his hand for us and makes every sacrifice with success, we will see that our national ambitions are true. May Allah Almighty Mes’ûd nation.
