Interview: Kurdish women’s life stories, feminism, and activism: A conversation with Houzan Mahmoud

Abstract

In this article Houzan Mahmoud (editor of the book Kurdish Women’s Stories, published in 2021), talks with Wendelmoet Hamelink (researcher on gender, migration, activism, and conflict at the University of Oslo), about the collection of the stories making up the book, about the writing process, and how the participants felt about being part of this project. The book contains 25 self-written stories by Kurdish women from all regions, including the diaspora. The conversation also touches on Mahmoud’s own life experiences and how this eventually led her to start Culture Project and the work for this book. It gives insight into empowerment, hope and resilience of women living in desperate circumstances; into the development of feminist ideas and projects; into the interconnections between life in Kurdistan and in the diaspora; and into the alienation and uprootedness that life in exile can bring about.