Voices of Kurdish Women: Hêviya Jinê Magazine as a Counter Public Sphere Practice

This study aims at analysing Kurdish women’s periodical, Hêviya Jinê (Women’s Hope), as a potential counter public sphere that is conceptualised by Negt and Kluge with reference to and as a criticism of the dominant public sphere theories mainly initiated by Habermas. Eight volumes of the periodical is being examined and a discussion drawing on Kurdish women’s visibility, representation, speech, act and politics they practice through the periodicals is carried out. Thus, this study intends to display the Kurdish women’s language and discourse in their endeavour to interfere in the political and daily agenda of Turkey. Basically, the main inquiry of this study will be whether Hêviya Jinê could be evaluated as a women’s counter public sphere practice in its political attempt or not.