Category: Women
Women’s freedom, or women’s liberation, is one of the three main pillars of the Rojava Revolution and the stateless self-governance model of the Autonomous Administrations of North and East Syria (AANES), as well as the Kurdish freedom movement more broadly, which initiated the revolution.
Women’s liberation is the most central pillar of the Kurdish freedom movement, and it is no exaggeration to say that the Rojava Revolution is a women’s revolution. There are many elements of the new system of radical democracy which have been created to build up women’s autonomy and freedom, such as the co-chair system, women’s co-operatives, and autonomous women’s councils in every democratic structure at every level of the system.
This is a strategy based on a historical understanding that patriarchy was the first system of oppression, developed more than 5,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, and that all other systems of oppression such as race, class, imperialism, colonialism and slavery, as well as capitalism and the state itself, all have their roots in patriachy – the rule of men and enslavement and subjugation of women.
In the articles below, you can find information about women in North and East Syria, their lives, co-operatives and communal economy projects, and how the new system aims to build up women’s confidence and autonomy. There are also articles about women’s lives, livelihoods and struggles for liberation in the regions of southeastern Turkey known as Bakur by their largely Kurdish populations.
Hêvî Kindergarten provides safe learning environment to children in Hasakah
Hêvi, a kindergarten opened in the city of Hasakah, aims to provide a safe learning environment to children and support working mothers.
Women’s High University for Art and Culture
Today in North and East Syria the art and culture movement has developed further, building the Women’s High University for Art and Culture. The university is based in Haseke and is part of Hilala Zerin, an autonomous women’s organisation for art and culture. This article explores the university’s role within Hilala Zerin and its impact on the broader mission of building a democratic society and women’s freedom.
The voice of women: Xabur FM
Xabur FM has celebrated 10 years of diverse broadcasts led by women in Hesekê.
Kurdish Women’s Unity Platform established
Representatives of 21 women's organizations and political parties in Kurdistan came together and formed the Kurdish Women's Unity Platform.
The principles of the women’s democratic confederal system: theory and practice
Women’s revolution starts with transforming ourselves as individuals and leads to a complete overhaul of society. It’s about building your own identity, challenging men to reshape what it means to be a man, transforming both women and men to create free relationships, and fostering those relationships to build a freer society. It’s a massive, tough, but deeply historic and valuable struggle.
The meaning, future and outcomes of the historic Kurdish Unity Conference in Rojava
The conference held in Qamishlo stands as a serious and organized response to a century of loneliness, denial, and fragmentation imposed on a people. The final document of the Kurdish Unity Conference in Rojava calls for the unification of Kurdish regions under a federal Syrian umbrella as an integrated political and administrative unit.
Women’s Production and Agriculture in Kobani
In the Kaniya Kurdan neighborhood of Kobanê, women grow vegetables and raise livestock to make a living.
Red Wednesday: the Yazidi New Year
The Yazidi people have been the constant target of attacks—even before the rise of ISIS. Still today, after reclaiming their right to self-determination, they continue to be attacked by states (including the Iraqi state) and by those who reject pluralism and the idea of self-governance. But today, what is unfolding in North and East Syria is a different story—a story in which all cultures and religions have a space, including the Yazidi faith. The Yazidi New Year, known as Red Wednesday, fell on April 16 this year.
The First National Conference for the Unity of Kurdish Women in Rojava
“With this conference, we are laying the foundation for a new history—the history of the unity of the Kurdish people, led by the vanguard of Kurdish women. Just as women in Rojava have been at the forefront in all fields, they are also leading the way in building a democratic Syria.” — Perwîn Yûsif (PYD)
Women’s project meets needs of people in Tirbespiyê
About 100 women, who participate in the Demsal Project launched by the Kongra Star Economy Committee in the town of Tirbespiyê, provide agricultural and dairy products to the people of the town.
Sara Organization, a place to fight violence against women
The Sara Organization for the Fight Against Violence Against Women has reported 388 incidents of violence, human rights violations and crimes against women in the last 10 months in Northern and Eastern Syria.
