Kurdish women find themselves faced by difficulties in many different arenas.
As mothers, they often find themselves alone, defenceless and put into the role of lone carers and breadwinners because their husbands have been killed, have disappeared or fled into exile. In Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran and in exile, their children are educated in languages they often do not understand and cultures they are unfamiliar with, which often creates a cultural division within the family which can be difficult to bridge. Often Kurdish women find it hard to express themselves independently by taking on non-traditional roles, while still remaining part of Kurdish society. Torture of Kurdish Women in Turkey Kurdish women in Turkey find themselves involved in the Kurdish national struggle, whether they themselves are activists or not and consequently are targets of the Turkish regime and routinely subjected to torture. Kurdish politicians, lawyers, journalists and students have all been tortured because they attempted to claim their right to freedom of expression, while others have found themselves facing torture by virtue of their nationality.