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Women of Rojava building a free society in
Syrian Kurdistan
11.3.2013
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Syrian Kurdish women have been subjected to
discrimination by Assad's regime for the last
decades, but also by a traditional and conservative
family environment. Kurdish woman rights activists
in Syria's Kurdish region, Syrian Kurdistan (Western
Kurdistan). Photo:
DW
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March 11, 2013
Syrian Kurdistan,— Kurdish women in Rojava
intend to build a new society in the political,
economic, social and diplomatic areas as well.
Just like in all parts of Kurdistan and the Middle
East, the freedom struggle of women has been led by
Kurdish women in Syria and West Kurdistan (Syrian
Kurdistan) as well. The long-lasting and challenging
struggle of Kurdish women, for which they have paid
great prices, have led to the creation of a great
organization as well as the establishment of a
democratic society.
The history of the organized struggle of women in
Lebanon, West Kurdistan and Syria began with Kurdish
people's leader Abdullah Öcalan's arrival at the
Syrian territory. They carried out significant works
in the areas of life, society and philosophy within
the period of 20 years when Öcalan stayed in this
territory where he took significant steps concerning
the reality of women and described women as the
“leading power of life”.
The development of the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle
also made great contributions to the women's
struggle in West Kurdistan which began in 1980's and
advanced on the basis of the slogan “the freedom of
society hinges upon the freedom of women” like in
other parts of Kurdistan. Women in Rojava who took
part in the Union of Patriotic Women of Kurdistan,
which was established in Europe in 1987, took
significant steps in West Kurdistan about the “love
of country, women's self-respect and organization”.
Their works led to the participation of a number of
women in the Kurdish struggle.
90's in West Kurdistan witnessed serious
developments in terms of women's liberation and a
remarkable increase in the number of women who
joined the struggle. As a consequence of their
struggle, women proved themselves in both their
organization and the society.
Women in Rojava gave a liberation struggle in all
areas in four parts of Kurdistan till 2000's,
especially in North, South and East Kurdistan. From
80's to 2000's, around 300 women from Rojava lost
their life in the struggle.
They went through challenging times, but achieved
numerous developments in political, cultural and
social areas. They gave a particular fight against
the Ba'ath regime's denial and destruction policy
and its reactionary social mindset which disregarded
women. They carried out their struggle secretly till
1995, in all villages, towns, districts,
neighborhoods and streets. The forces of the Ba'ath
regime not only arrested them with the help of its
supporters, but also subjected them to physical and
psychological torture, intending to break their
will.
The women of West Kurdistan expanded their struggle
despite all the attacks and obstacles they faced.
They took significant steps in terms of organization
in 2000's. They started to lead a mass struggle by
establishing their specific organization within the
Democratic Union Party (PYD) which was founded in
2003. They on the other hand continued their works
for building their own organization.
Following intense works and debates, they held their
first congress on 15 January 2005 when they declared
the establishment of Yekitiya Star, the first
organization of women in West Kurdistan. At this
conference, they took a decision to carry out
organizational works in Syria and Lebanon in
addition to West Kurdistan.
As they carried out works in line with their
decision, the regime increased its repressions and
attacks more and more, arresting and dozens of their
leading staff and other patriotic women some of whom
disappeared in custody.
Yekitiya Star secretly held its second congress in
Qamislo in 2007 and in Aleppo in 2008, again
secretly carried out all its works till the
revolution process which began in 2011. Besides the
West Kurdistan Women's Council and the committees of
peace, law, press and peace mothers, it established
women councils in the Syrian cities of Damascus,
Aleppo, Rakka and Haseki despite all the obstacles.
With the beginning of the revolution process,
Yekitiya Star held its third congress in Qamislo, in
mass and in the open in 2011. The public works it
led after this congress led to a great advancement
in terms of institutionalization in all areas of
life, which has enabled them to be the leading
factor in the construction of a new system today. It
opened 15 training centers and two academies for
women and formed social committees in many areas.
While forming the union of young women, the women in
Rojava on the other hand achieved a specific
organization in People's Defense Units (YPG),
declaring the establishment of three battalions of
women so far.
One of the most significant achievement by the
movement of women in Rojava has been their works for
enabling the unity of Syrian women. The Initiative
of Syrian Women, which was established in this
context, held a number of talks and meetings before
it decided to hold a congress with the participation
of women from all ethnic groups in the country.
Besides the works for national unity and dialogues
with women's organizations in other parts of
Kurdistan,www.ekurd.net
women in Rojava attended the international women's
conference in Hewler (Erbil), Iraqi Kurdistan
region. Their preparations are currently underway
for the Middle East Women's Conference which will
take place in the forthcoming period.
Grounding its purpose on the “construction of a
democratic transformation and a free society in
Syria and West Kurdistan”, Yekitiya Star regards
Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan as the
builder and leader of freedom. It bases on the
philosophy of a democratic, ecological,
gender-libertarian society.
Hediye Yusuf, an executive of Yekitiya Star which
has organized mass activities for 8 March in all
cities of West Kurdistan this year, evaluates the
current process as a “significant step on the way to
freedom”. Yusuf remarks that women in Rojava have
proven their existence as a result of the great
struggle they have given and great prices they have
paid so far, and adds that they are now leading the
construction of a democratic society.
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