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.
Post-earthquake challenges persist for women in affected regions of Turkey
As the first anniversary of Turkey's devastating February earthquakes approaches, women in the earthquake-stricken areas continue to face a spiral of violence and poverty, with calls for organisation to address these issues, report Mezopotamya Agency's Yüsra Batıhan and Şilan Çil.
Women in NE Syria play great role in shaping AANES structure
Women have played a prominent role in Northeast Syria since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, starting from cities like Hasakah, Qamishli, Afrin, Kobani, and extending to Raqqa, Tabqa, Manbij, and Deir ez-Zor. They have actively participated in various sectors, including military, social, political, economic, and others.
“When we say defense, most people think of weapons, but this is not all” – HPC, North and East Syria’s Civil Defense Forces
While North and East Syria’s (NES) Women’s and People’s Defense Units (the YPJ and YPG) have taken worldwide headlines for their role in the defeat of ISIS’ caliphate and continue to garner attention, a much lesser-known force in NES is the HPC – Civil Defense Forces. The HPC exist across the region of NES: small, neighborhood groups of volunteers who undertake defense activities on a local level in a decentralized manner. HPC-Jin is the women’s arm of the force. RIC followed the activities of different HPC groups around NES, visited HPC centers, and interviewed several HPC members to shed light on their work, explore how “defense” is defined within the HPC and see the challenges they face.
Civilians targeted by Turkey tell of their living conditions without electricity and water
In large parts of Northern and Eastern Syria, the population's supply of electricity, water and fuel has collapsed due to Turkish attacks. Women in Qamishlo talked about their living conditions.
Turkish attacks destroying the future of a generation of young women [Part 2]
With Aya Ali al-Muhammad, we continue to tell a series of stories of young women murdered by the Turkish army in North and East Syria. Young women who took their share of responsibility in a war-torn region and died at their places of work. They leave families in pain, but also a society that remains determined to leave the time of war behind and to build peaceful and democratic coexistence together with all the ethnic groups of the region.
New Campaign of the Women’s Ecological Platform of Rojava
To the press and the public: This year, as part of the campaign “Freedom for Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question”, we will be carrying out the campaign “Building forests against desertification”, which we do every year. We took a step a month ago by reading the old minutes of the meeting
Turkish attacks destroying the future of a generation of young women
With Bêrîvan Mihemed, we begin to tell a series of stories of young women murdered by the Turkish army in North and East Syria. Young women who took their share of responsibility in a war-torn region and died at their places of work. They leave families in pain, but also a society that remains determined to leave the time of war behind and to build peaceful and democratic coexistence together with all the ethnic groups of the region.
Days of work, thoughts of resistance
The time to prune the trees of our camp has come, actually it’s almost late but we had a lot of work to do until now. Anyway, at the end, in the last few days, equipped with secateurs and saw, we have worked on the garden of the Internationalist Commune. The friends who came before
Raqqa Canton assemblies and communes hold first meeting
Raqqa Canton General Assembly held its first meeting with the assemblies and communes in Raqqa, Manbij, Tabqa and Deir ez-Zor, and decided to expand the struggle to ensure freedom for Abdullah Öcalan.
From Rojava to all freedom-loving people of the world
Today is the 25th of December. At this moment, there are sounds of war planes in the air.
Second Cooperatives Conference in Hesekê ends with important decisions taken
Important decisions were taken at the 2nd Cooperatives Conference held in Hesekê.
