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.
Female sellers fined for refusing male sellers to work in all-women district market in Amed
Female sellers have been fined by the appointed mayor of Amed’s Bağlar Municipality for refusing male sellers to work in “Jiyan District Market”, all-women district market.
Women at the heart of democratic experimentation in Rojava
The women’s market in Rojava aims to develop women’s economic autonomy, enabling them to forge social ties and giving them confidence. This souk project is being set up by women in the heart of a region, Syrian Kurdistan in northeastern Syria, where unprecedented political experimentation has been taking place for ten years. Municipalism, or democratic confederalism,
Aliye Musa starts her own farm to end male violence
50-year-old Aliye Musa is a victim of child marriage. She was subjected to violence by her husband for years but she has started her own farm to end violence. Aliye has planted hundreds of trees and fed animals on her farm. She has also employed many people. “I can tell all women what they should do to stand on their own feet,” Aliye said.
Women in Sheikh Maqsoud challenge economic crisis through production
Women in Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo turned the roofs of their houses into vegetable gardens. The women are trying to resist the embargo their own way.
Raqqa Municipality Factory Run by Women
Naya Detergent Factory was opened by Raqqa Municipality Women’s Bureau four months ago. Only women have worked in the factory. 40 percent of the factory's income will be used for new projects promoting women's employment.
Women in Kobane Work Communally to Overcome Drought Conditions
The women in Kobane are coming together to work on the fields and try to give life to the lands suffering from this Turkish-made drought.
Women Work and Socialize at All-Women’s Market
The Women's Products Market opened by the Qamishlo Municipality is both a workplace and a space for women to socialize. Women working in the market read books written by female authors while drinking coffee or tea. Now, women have 14 stores in the market and they earn a living by selling their products.
Feminism in Syria May Be Under Threat, But Our Project Will Always Be an Inspiration
Everywhere in North and East Syria, women have shown their strength and capacity — in every role, from our highest government offices to farmers and members of economic cooperatives. Our co-leadership model provides an example of how women can recover from generations of oppression, claim our power, and become leaders and actors in our world. This model is in danger of being destroyed — by the Turkish occupation, by the Assad government, or by the Turkish-backed Syrian militias.
The Only Female Baker in Hani
Adalet Narin lives in the Hani district of Amed and she is the only female baker in the district. She makes bread and creates a social space for women in the district. She makes bread by giving shape the dough kneaded by women living in the district.
They can’t break the free will of women – Political femicide of two local activists
In memory of our two friends Saada al-Hermas and Hind al-Khedr, who were murdered in a targeted attack by the Islamic State (ISIS) on 22 January 2021 in Shadade, Heseke, we publish this dossier.
How Turkey’s Anti-Kurdish Crackdowns Threaten Women Across the Middle East
This article analyzes women’s political representation in Kurdish-majority regions of Turkey before and after the 2019 crackdown on elected mayors from the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), as well as women’s political representation in the Syrian region of Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain) before and after Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring.
