The stories of women, who maintain their life with hope in Deir ez-Zor despite all the challenges faced by them, are inspiring. They make big changes in the city by developing small-scale projects.
Rojava Information Center interviewed figures and structures associated with Islam in North and East Syria. They included members of the Democratic Islam Congress and Delal Khelil from the Council of Religions and Beliefs, both structures which RIC previously interviewed in 2020. RIC also spoke to Sheikh Murshid Khaznawi, the son of Sufi Sheikh Maashouq Khaznawi, who was tortured and assassinated by the former Ba’ath government in 2005.
“90% of trees on Mount Kizwan were cut down in four years. We must work together to reforest the mount,” said Meha Eid El-Hilû, who lives in a village close to Mount Kizwan.
The Women’s house in Raqqa has become a trusted center that resolves family issues through dialogue.
Jinwar is home to many different women that have decided to join the community for a variety of different reasons. Something that unites all of them is their search for a free life in communality and the wish to learn, to strengthen and develop as women. Some of them have lost their husbands in the war, or others have freed themselves from domestic violence or forced marriage. There are also Yazidi women who have begun a new life here after they were liberated from the enslavement of ISIS.
Drought, insufficient rainfall and the impact of water policies are causing the water crisis in Cizire Canton to deepen. People in villages are facing a severe humanitarian crisis due to the drying up of drinking water and agricultural irrigation sources.
Hena Xidir, resident of Zirgan, plants seeds after collecting the remnants of war to breathe life into nature.
Farmers in the town of Zirgan (Abu Rasin) demand the end of the Turkish attacks because “Our food security is at risk. The ongoing Turkish attacks destroy biodiversity.”
The Democratic Autonomous Administration institutions started to operate stations that would pump water from the Euphrates River to reach the city of Hesekê in less than 48 hours.
In preparation for the forthcoming municipal elections in NES, planned for 11th of June [now postponed to 8 August, 2024], the DAANES passed a new law defining the administrative divisions of the NES region. This follows the DAANES’ publication of the new Social Contract in December 2023.
Turkey's decision to cut off the flow of water in the Euphrates River has resulted in nine water pumping stations in northern Syria being out of service, exacerbating the region's water crisis.
Speaking about their works and activities in North and East Syria, Tell Majdel City Council Co-chair Sacîda Al-Ased says they have changed the perspective of tribes towards women by raising awareness.
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.
The Syrian Free Women’s Foundation aims to empower women by organizing vocational training courses and awareness-raising activities.
In the wake of the people's uprisings against despotic regimes in North Africa and the MiddleEast, the protests against the Assad regime in Syria also began in spring 2011. The Kurds in Rojava (Western Kurdistan), who had been oppressed for decades by the nationalist policiesof the Ba'ath dictatorship, demanded both a fundamental democratisation of Syria and recognition of their political and cultural self-determination. On 19 July 2012, the people of Kobane urged the Syrian military and the state apparatus to withdraw from the city. This was the beginning of the Rojava Revolution.
Hassan Hassan is an English teacher and works with the NGO S.O.S. Afrin. He is originally from Afrin and lived almost seven years in Shehba. His family and he were displaced to North and East Syria following the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army’s December 1 offensive to seize Shehba. He talks to RIC about his memories of the SNA’s attack, mass displacement from Shehba, the travel to Tabqa, and his situation having been now twice displaced.`
Women, who were displaced to Shahba Canton after the Turkish state occupied Afrin, earn a living with their skills due to rising prices caused by the embargo imposed by the Syrian government on Shahba Canton.
Only one kilometer from Shahba Dam in the northern countryside of Syria’s Aleppo governorate, , the 50-year-old farmer Mahmoud Osso is staring at his land, which he has not cultivated this year due to drought and lack of rainfall.
Along with three other displaced women, Zeyneb Battal, an IDP [internally displaced person] from the city of Afrin, northwest Syria, is busy preparing kibbeh (a fried ball of spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine) and other dishes in a small restaurant in the town of Fafeen in the northern Aleppo countryside.
The Health Committee was established on 6/12/2020 and is responsible for organizing and promoting women’s health work and stands against the policies of global capitalist powers that monopolize health care and make it a profit sector. It deals with the issue of health in all spheres of life physically, psychologically, spiritually, politically and socially, in contrast to the distortions caused by capitalist modernity which defines health only within the framework of the good physical condition of the person.
The Syrian regime under the Ba’ath Party of Bashar al-Assad is not only infamous for its war crimes and human rights abuses during the war in Syria, but also held a thick record of systematic violence prior to the uprisings in 2011. Apart from its extensive intelligence apparatus, its law and justice system enshrined authoritarianism and state power in the legal realm. The population of Syria, and minorities in particular, were taught to fear the law as the representative will of the oppressive state. In northern Syria, since the beginning of the revolution in Rojava in 2012, manifold initiatives have been systematically launched to undo the state and its domination not only in the realm of politics and society, but also in the psychology of people, who experienced not only Assad’s regime, but more recently the fascist rule of ISIS. Efforts are led not only in the sphere of law and justice, but also in the realm of grassroots-organizing, education and political, economic and social action. There are many difficulties however. What could an alternative, non-statist justice system look like? Let us take a look at Anja Hoffmann’s observations from an Arabic language justice academy in Tel Marouf…
Citizens and farmers in Hajin are repairing and cleaning canals and irrigation areas belonging to cooperatives working in the field of agriculture in a collective way.
Administrative women in Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, believe that they have reached a significant milestone in the realm of administrative work. They attribute this progress to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), which has provided ample opportunities for women to demonstrate their capabilities and expertise. For a long time, women in the
For the recently announced new invasion we have to expect chemical weapons attacks of Turkey! Already during the Turkish invasion of Serêkaniyê in 2019 the Turkish state used chemical weapons, including white phosphorus and napalm. 33 people were burned in this attack. Nature is being harmed and transformed in the long run. “Effects of chemical
Women of Deir ez-Zor, who have started reaping barley and wheat crops, complain that they could not get the desired results from the crops due to the insufficient rainfall and the low water level of the Euphrates River.
On the morning of 17 February, a session was held on “Rojava Revolution, an Alternative World Being Built in North and East Syria,” organized by the Civil Diplomacy Center in North and East Syria, in collaboration with the Kongra Star Women’s Movement and the Jineology Center. 50 people from all over the world participated online to learn about the methods of the people- and women-led revolution in North and East Syria.
History of the Revolution: Much Achieved, Still Much to be Done.
The Public Services Committee is working to minimise the problems caused by the reduction of the Euphrates river carried out by Turkey. To this end, the Baxoz water station is currently being repaired.
Abdullah al-Mirkaz, a detergent factory owner in the city of Hajin, in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, east Syria, cannot afford to buy additional machines or hire more workers, despite their necessity for his growing business.
Director of al-Hurriya Dam in the town of Mansoura, southwest of Raqqa Governorate, northern Syria, said the dam’s production decreased from 75 to 14 megawatts per hour due to the lack of water supply from Turkey.
Wheat and other crops that the people of al-Mansoura town, southeast of Tabqa [Tebqa / Al-Thawrah], rely on in their daily survival have declined to less than half as Turkey continues blocking the flow of the Euphrates river, which constitutes a violation of the Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. The Euphrates passes through Turkey, Syria
Turkey has always shown little understanding of the environment, also from an ecological point of view. It has shown no mercy towards nature and people, destroying the landscape and burying a millennia of history under water. One of the most perverse and ruthless ways of interfering in a country without actually entering it is by cutting
Kongra Star continues to develop projects and establish cooperatives in northeastern Syria to promote women’s economic empowerment.
Co-chair Emîne Beyram said that municipal services in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah have resumed after the removal of checkpoints under Article 5 of the agreement.
Zehida Rashid stated that in spite of the attacks by mercenaries affiliated with the Turkish state, they continue to provide mother tongue education in local neighborhoods.
Nûdem, an organization established to provide care and support to people with disabilities, has started carrying out activities in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods.
The aim of the Women’s Economic Committee in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood is to support women. 13 women work in one of their projects making hand crafted and embroidered products. The project aims to involve a large number of people, especially unemployed women. Workers were trained in hand embroidery and the use of various labels.
The agricultural project that started last year in al-Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood achieved positive results in achieving an economic return for the families that adopted it, in a way that helped them expand it to include livestock breeding and launch future plans.
Despite the attacks and threats, the people of Rojava and Northern Syria continue to build their communalist social model.
Fishermen expressed on Sunday their concern over the increasing level of the pollution in the water of al-Basel Dam, south of Hasakah, northeast Syria, which led to the death of many fish.
The Turkish state uses water as a weapon against the population in North and East Syria.
Sozda Ahmed is the co-chair of the Water Bureau for Heseke canton. She was interviewed on 8 April 2020.
The Municipality of Al-Arisha, in cooperation with the Water Directorate in Al-Hasakeh, activated a mini drinking water station, and contracted with tanks to transport water from the wells to cover the needs of the people of the region.
Women in Rojava improve economy Pointing out that the women have improved the economy in Rojava, Armanc Mihemed, executive of the Economy Committee of Kongra Star, said that they have achieved significant successes by realizing many projects.
The Rojava Gardens in Serekaniye’s Eziziye village has become the livelihood of many migrant families with the vegetables and fruits grown.
Hîlala Zêrîn translates to “golden crescent moon” and refers to the Fertile Crescent, the territory between the Zagros and Taurus mountains. This region was the birthplace of the Neolithic revolution and the location of the earliest civilizations and cities. Archaeologists have also found evidence of ancient matriarchal societies in the Fertile Crescent.
“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)
For the sixth consecutive year, farmers and residents in Afrin region, Northwest Syria, face heavy royalties and restrictions from Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA). These practices have intensified during this year’s olive harvest season, targeting local agriculture, trade, and resources, which form the backbone of Afrin’s economy.
A women’s bakery opened by the Afrin-Shahba Cooperative aims to provide employment to displaced women of Afrin.
Afrin-Shehba Women’s Assembly develops projects to empower displaced women
Afrin-Shahba Women’s Assembly develops projects on Shahba to empower displaced women economically.
The Economy Committee of the Kongra Star has launched a new agricultural project to support displaced women.
Women are employed in Jiyan Restaurant, which was opened by the project of the Women's Committee in Shehba. Women working in Jiyan Restaurant, where mainly local dishes are served, are happy to achieve their economic freedom.
The vegetable market will be opened after the Eid al-Adha, from 7 am to 7 pm and 60 women will work in it.
Project mangers said that their work will be expanded to produce yogurt, pepper and tomato paste and added that products will be sold and profit shared among women.
A number of communes in the Al Ahdath area of Al Shahba canton, in a co-operative work, installed light bulbs in the streets.
North and East Syria faces serious challenges in the fight against COVID-19. 600,000 IDPs and refugees live in camps across the region, their situation already precarious without a pandemic. Ongoing attacks by Turkish forces, Turkey-backed militias, and ISIS complicate the security situation and threaten essential civilian infrastructure like water lines. According to the Rojava Information Center,
An official of Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said that they are working on a station which will feed 1,000 homes in the villages of Hariza and Barshim, eastern Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria.
There is an extreme water shortage in northern and eastern Syria. The water level in the Hesekê dam has dropped massively. A humanitarian catastrophe is looming in the greater regions of Hesekê and Deir ez-Zor.
In light of the conditions that Syria is currently facing, water has been cut off from North-east Syria and Iraq, and a policy is being pursued to starve and dehydrate millions of innocent civilians. This is not only happening on top of the current political conflicts in the region and its associated inhospitable living conditions but amidst the corona pandemic – all of which is taking place in front of the international community.
The People's Council continues to provide basic services to the people of the town and its villages. In a short period of time, the council was able to take a positive step towards the reconstruction of the town and to provide drinking water and irrigation to the town and its villages.
Khalat joined a sewing training course organized by the Foundation of the Free Women in Syria in the city of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, four years ago. She learned the profession and then landed a job within a sewing workshop affiliated with the Foundation. “I got a job opportunity in the workshop after mastering the profession,
The Executive Council of Cizîr Canton Democratic Autonomous Administration made a press statement in front of Mihemed Şêxo Culture and Art Centre in Qamishlo about the latest wave of Turkish attacks on the region which followed the serious blow suffered by the Turkish army in its war against guerrilla forces in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Turkish attacks on northern Syria have been going on since Friday night, targeting not only residential areas but also service institutions.
The press statement was read by Talet Yûnis, Co-Chair of the Executive Council, and Gulistan Îsmaîl, Co-Chair of the Board of Education and Training.
The statement said that the Turkish army bombed infrastructure, services and strategic places in Dêrik, Tirbespiyê, Rimêlan and Çilaxa districts of Cizir Canton between 12-14 December. As a result of the ongoing attacks, service organisations providing water, electricity and agriculture to the region were left out of service, it noted.
The Executive Council pointed out that these attacks, which violate international law, hinder efforts to fight terrorism, vowing that solidarity and resistance will be strengthened in the face of the attacks, the gains of the revolution will be protected, and the plans for displacement and demographic change in the region will be foiled.
The Cizîr Canton Democratic Autonomous Administration called on the active forces in Syria, the international community, legal and humanitarian organisations to stop the attacks of the occupying Turkish state and to hold it to account for its crimes against humanity.
The Executive Council also called on the people of the region to unite around their institutions and protect the gains of the revolution.
A factory in Derik countryside, northeast Syria, has been producing rebound foam for more than two years, and is the first of its kind in the Syrian Jazira region.
The House of Co-operatives in Girkê Legê district seeks to establish more co-operative societies in order to promote the principle of the participatory economy and to consolidate social ties among all groups of society.
So far, 11,804 fighters have died in the defense of Northern and Eastern Syria. New ones are added every day due to the attacks. The Council of the Families of Martyrs takes care of the relatives in eight committees and 199 municipalities.
Co-operatives opened in Til Hemis provide employment for citizens and contribute to the social economy.
On Sunday, the Economic and Agriculture Board of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) opened the first cheese and dairy factory in the city of Derik, far northeast Syria.
Thanks to the primarily-Kurdish female fighters in the YPJ militia, many people now know that a women’s revolution is underway in North and East Syria (NES), the autonomous region more commonly known as Rojava. Women are organizing autonomously in civil society, and participating as co-chairs with guaranteed 50% representation from the highest levels of the new
More than 40 thousand people in Ain Issa have been deprived of drinking water due to the attacks by the occupying Turkish army.
Following the Turkish bombardment of civilian infrastructure east of Ain Issa, 50 villages were left without water.
The Turkish military carried out an airstrike against a water pumping station in the countryside of Qamishli (Qamişlo), northern Syria. The airstrike is reported to have put the facility out of order and cut water access to thousands of residents.
Girê Spi Canton Assembly Economic Committee implemented a communal project to support the refugees in Girê Spi Camp.
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.
Kurdish, Arab, Syriac, Assyrian, Armenian, and Turkmen women have achieved numerous legal, political, military, cultural, and social accomplishments in North and East Syria during the July 19 Revolution (Women's Revolution). Preparations are currently underway to draft a special social contract for women.
Women in Manbij, Deir ez-Zor, Tabqa and Raqqa who were liberated from ISIS are waging an organized struggle against all forms of violence and social problems within the Zenobia Women's Gathering.
In an exclusive interview with Medya News, Khoud Al-Issa, spokesperson of the Zenobia Women's Gathering in North and East Syria, outlines the current attacks against women in Syria and explains why the recent decision of the Syrian interim government to remove Queen Zenobia's name from the national curriculum must be seen as an attempt to erase the history of Syrian women.
The case of Manbij, liberated from ISIS by the SDF in August 2016, shows how women in a multi-ethnic Syrian city used AANES [the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria] frameworks to build institutions, take on leadership roles, and organize in their communities to change discriminatory attitudes.
With a view to empowering women and developing themselves economically, the Women's Committee opened the Women's Economy Center in Manbij city and its rural areas on 20 November, 2017 as a starting point for launching plans to activate the role of women in the economic sphere, and confirm of [their] basic role and [their] achievements in work at all levels.
The ten workers in Al Barakah Co-operative are about to finish making the winter supplies, such as dried vegetables, pickles, pumpkin jam and olives. The Women’s Council announced the formation of this co-operative, in co-ordination with the Committee of Economy and Municipalities. The co-operative is called Beit Al Barakah [House of Delight], and it aims to get women
The Women’s Committee in Manbij formed a co-operative for women on 6 September in co-ordination with the Economic Committee. It included a number of women who will make winter foods and distribute them to the markets. The co-operative includes 10 workers who joined as members by buying 16 shares.
The Women's Committee of the Civil Democratic Administration in Manbij started working in the sewing workshop which was named on behalf of the Martyr Sakina Asalieh.
The Economic Committee in Manbij has opened many co-operatives to improve the economy and curb monopoly.
The Administration of Co-operative Societies related to to the Economic Committee in Manbij held a meeting with members of the Agricultural and Veterinarian Pharmacy Co-operative at the Centre of Economics to distribute the co-op's dividends.
The people of Fars al-Ghanam village in the countryside of eastern Manbij have formed a co-operative society to run an electric generator in co-ordination with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Economic Committee in Manbij.
The House of Co-operatives has coordinated with the Economic Assembly has to hold a meeting with the share holders in the Manbij Consumer Co-operative.
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.
Before the Turkish occupation, Efrîn was a center of the ‘women’s revolution’ that North and East Syria has become famous for. Women’s institutions based on direct democracy and aimed at addressing gender inequality and other social challenges were active, and laws and policies mandating political equality had been put into practice. Efrîn Canton saw minimal
Mutual support has expanded: from the families, the neighborhoods, friends in the region to all around the world. People self-organizing have proved once more the strength that we, the people, have. This proves the necessity to recover the trust in our capacities; the ability to reflect, overcome and solve problems together; the awareness of our interconnections; the relations and actions that put them into practice; the questioning of our real necessities and aims connected to life.
Since the occupation of Afrin in March 2018, the Turkish state has established a regime of looting and exploitation. Olive and olive products were the main source of income in the region before the invasion. With the Turkish invasion, Afrin’s olive groves have been plundered and have become a source of funding for militiamen from the Turkish-established mercenary “Syrian National Army” (SNA). The SNA militias loot the region’s olive production and bring it to the world market via Turkey.
The Maras-centered earthquakes destroyed more than a hundred buildings in Syria and Rojava. 3,581 people lost their lives and 5,348 were injured. Thousands are still under the rubble in the Turkish-occupied areas as the death toll is not disclosed.
For the fifth anniversary of the Turkish invasion, in this explainer we want to focus on four aspects of the current situation of the Afrin region: SNA crimes, administration and living conditions, forced demographic change, and new role of HTS (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant militant group in Idlib).
The first women's agricultural cooperative society has been formed in the area of Cindirêsê in Afrîn, with the participation of twelve members from Kongreya Star, the communes and civil society in the area.
In an interview with NuJINHA, Emîra Bekir talked about the history and natural beauty of the Rajo town of Afrin Canton.
This report by the Information Centre of Afrin Resistance was first published on 25 January, 2018. Sadly, Afrin is now completely under the control of Turkey and its Jihadist allies. We are publishing it now because we believe it is important to maintain an awareness of the situation of Afrin and its history.
Karim and other women work in a sewing workshop in Sardam Camp, which shelters IDPs of Afrin, in Aleppo northern countryside. The women all share the same goal to challenge the hardships of displacement and provide for their families.
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North-Eastern Syria (DAANES) is building an alternative education system under siege from multiple powers, defying the control of the Ba’athist education system of the Assad regime as well as the Turkish occupation forces and their proxies. The alternative system has accomplished such measures as the reintroduction of the Kurdish language for young students—drastically altering the way of life in the region. However, building institutions of higher education in an area where many native Kurds could not even have Syrian citizenship two decades ago poses a major challenge.
The history of the Kurdistan, the ecological way of life of the people, the effects of the attacks, and the methods of resistance, are intrinsically related. In order to make them more understandable, we focused our report on the area of Koçerata. This region, its people and civil infrastructures in particular, were heavily targeted by Turkish airstrikes in winter 2023-2024.
Environmental and agricultural engineers and doctors warned about a potential disaster that could harm the northeastern areas of Syria in the long term following oil leakage into two main river streams, amid efforts to prevent its spread. The Agriculture and Irrigation Board affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announced on
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.
Binefsh Water Filtering and Bottling Plant Co-operative is another step toward enhancing participatory work, achieving self sufficiency, supporting people with limited income, and creating jobs.
In early December an international delegation visited Rojava’s Cezire [Jazira] canton where they learned about the ongoing revolution, cooperation and tolerance.
The Armenian Women's Union fights for the active participation of women in all areas of life. Anahit Kasabiyan said that the Armenian community living in Northern and Eastern Syria will establish a political party led by women.
Women of Deir ez-Zor keep growing cotton despite all the difficulties caused by climate change and the ongoing attacks.
The bakery produces 4 tons of bread daily and tries to meet the needs of the people with overtime in case of higher demand.
The women of Deir ez-Zor have started to take on a leading role in all areas after the region was liberated and are now strengthening their economies through the cooperatives they build.
Farmers in Al-Jarniyah have had to stop harvesting summer crops as a result of Turkey cutting the flow of the Euphrates river. The farmers rely on the flow of the Euphrates to irrigate their crops. About 70% of the people in Al-Jarniyah and its countryside use farming as a primary source of income, but a disastrous
With the continued decline in the water level of the Euphrates River and the increased demand for water during the summer season, the Tabqa Water Unit has begun implementing several projects related to drinking water pumping stations.
In the Raqqa and Tabqa cantons, vineyards are considered important as a source of income, and help meet the needs of families.
The House of Co-operatives in the Democratic Self-administration in Tabqa in co-ordination with the city council has inaugurated the first co-operative society in Tabqa, Almustaqbal - the Future Society for Tailoring Co-operative. The new co-operative will create jobs and motivate people to form co-ops.
The House of Co-operatives that belongs to the Economic Committee in the Democratic Administration of Tabqa is working to improve the communal economy, which benefits all members of society, especially women. The communal economy solves social problems such as unemployment, and empowers women.
The Women’s Council in Tabqa organised a meeting with the women who are registered to work in new projects. These projects will be supervised by the Women’s Council there, and will raise awareness about the role of women in society and the importance of these kinds of projects to create more jobs for women, and
Without immediate and coordinated intervention, both domestically and internationally, the water crisis in Raqqa will likely escalate into a broader humanitarian emergency. Reduced crop yields could lead to soaring food prices, deepening economic hardship, and even population displacement if farming becomes untenable.
Women in the city of Raqqa see significant progress in the economic field, because women have proven themselves.
Early 2019, the Raqqa Women’s Committee put forward plans and projects for the future. In two years, these have been realized. The Committee has thus provided jobs for nearly 5,000 women in Raqqa and its surrounding villages. At the start of this year, the Women’s Committee implemented several plans that were previously approved. In this
During the year 2021, women in north and east Syria made many achievements at various levels: Diplomatic, political, economic and organizational, and women's organizations intensified the pace of their activities aimed at reaching the largest possible segment of women in the world to support them to achieve their rights and freedom.
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.
As part of the project women grow different vegetables and sell the tomato paste and pickles they prepare.
Currently, North and East Syria (NES) faces enormous economic difficulties: rampant inflation, a partial embargo, war and the draining of resources by occupying Turkish forces in Sere Kaniye, Tel Abyad and Afrin. In this crisis context, NES is developing an economic model which aims at self-sufficiency and sustainability. The economic program of the Autonomous Administration
A group of women founded the al-Fardos Co-operative to care for the needy in Raqqa. The co-operative is open especially at mealtimes and gives the needy the opportunity to eat for free. The women have been working on the project in the neighborhood of al-Fardo in the war-torn city for five months.
Cizîr Canton Ecology Board stated that the attacks by the occupying Turkish state has caused great damage to the ecology in North-East Syria, calling on the international community to take action against this ecological destruction.
On the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria, Evîn Sîwêd from the Executive Council said they are determined to bring about a political solution and to preserve the integrity of Syria.
Mekiye Hiso, a member of the Syrian Women's Assembly, said that they have once again realised the importance of women's self-defence with the revolution in North and East Syria, adding that they will focus more on organisation in Syrian cities.
60 decares of land was allocated to the newly established co-operative.
The Women‘s Economic Committee began harvesting the crops of wheat, lentils, cumin, coriander, fenugreek and barley from the women‘s cooperatives for the 2024 season and delivering them to storage centers in the region.
With 78 cooperatives, women also play a leading role in building a solidarity economy in Rojava. The construction of the economy takes place under war conditions.
The Women's Economy Committee in Hasakah, northeastern Syria, promotes women’s economic empowerment by developing projects that serve women, preserving women’s rights and preventing women’s exploitation.
Şeddadê District Women’s Economy Committee provides employment opportunities for women with economic difficulties, unemployed or trapped in the home, in the Al-Hasakah (Hesekê) canton of North East Syria. Developing new projects to integrate women into economical life, the committee also continues to support ongoing projects of women. The committee previously founded a bakery in the
Fahed Khedair, an official in Shaddadi City Council’s Economic Committee, said on Sunday that they had obtained approval to increase the quantities of flour in bakeries in order to solve a bread shortage.
Considering the shortage of bread around the villages of Sheddadi, the Committee of Co-operative Societies in Hasakah has opened Erisa Bakery Co-operative in the village of Attala, 10 kilometres north of Sheddadi.
The House of Co-operatives in Sheddadi has been working on many projects that aim to improve the economy in and around the city.
Northeast Syria witnessed deteriorating healthcare services during the Syrian conflict due to the destruction inflicted to health infrastructure, especially in Raqqa, Manbij, Deir ez-Zor, which already lacked healthcare prior to the conflict.
Despite efforts of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to develop productive sectors and the local economy within the available possibilities, there are obstacles that hinder the achievement of these goals.
The Syrian pound has lost its value against the dollar ten times over since 2020, and hundreds of times since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011 – fuelling a worsening economic catastrophe across the country, including in the autonomous, Kurdish-led region of North and East Syria (NES). Locals report markets empty of customers, and a daily struggle to put bread on the table. Medya News spoke to Cheleng Omar, a leading Syrian Kurdish economist, to ask what steps can be taken to ameliorate the crisis.
Women living in the village of Fiwêda, located on the foothills of Mount Kizwanan have already started harvesting barley.
Displaced women working at the Iştar Tandoor Cooperative in Til Temir voiced their messages for International Women’s Day, calling on the Turkish state to withdraw from their homeland.
Displaced women of Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ayn) living in the Til Nesri village of Til Temir, have baked flatbread called “Waşûkanî” to earn a living.
“Green spaces play an effective and positive role in climate change. Our aim is to create a clean and healthy environment,” said Meha Mihemed, Co-chair of the Ecology Department of the People’s Municipality in Til Temir.
12 cooperatives started by Kongra Star Economy Committee have developed projects in Til Temir to provide employment to women and strengthen the local economy.
Despite the simple capabilities under the capitalist economy, and the constant attacks of the occupier on the regions of northeast and Syria, the economic toil of women has bore fruit to good results during 2020, as they played a leading role in easing the economic crisis that the region suffer from.
There is an increase in purchasing solar panels by the region’s residents following the recent Turkish airstrikes on fuel facilities and oil wells.
Agricultural cooperatives created by women in 8 villages in Qamishlo grow products such as wheat and barley. In a year with good rainfall, women aim for an important harvest.
Armanc Mohammed, head of the Women’s Economy of North and East Syria, evaluated their work during the past year and discussed the projects that had been implemented and the economic level that women had reached in North and East Syria. Armanc said that women had begun a revolution in the economic field and given color to the year 2020 with their efforts.
The Rojava revolution is under attack. Debbie Bookchin and Emre Şahin share their thoughts on this unique revolutionary process after recently visiting the region.
Kongra Star Economy Committee provides employment opportunities to women by creating new workplaces for women in the city of Hasakah, northeastern Syria.
Despite the embargo and attacks, grassroots democratic women's structures in Rojava continue to work on building a self-managed women's economy. This is intended to ensure self-sufficiency and empower women.
The House of Co-operatives has initiated a project of building a bakery in Girkê Legê to satisfy people's need for bread.
The bakery project will be finished in a few months, and once it’s ready it will be supervised by a co-operative society that includes families of martyrs.
The year 2016 was characterised by the advance of economic projects that aimed to improve the communal economy in Rojava, especially the projects that were connected to women.
Eleven people participated in the co-operative. The price for a share is 60,000 SYP.
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.
On 22 February 2024, the Green Tress Environmental Association distributed tree seedlings to the schools of Tirbesbiye city as part of the project 'Environmental School – Environmental Community', and in memory of the martyr artist Mansour Karimian. The seeds were planted two years ago and have been cared for and watered since then, in coordination between the workers in the Odeh field and the Association.
The communes in Tirbespiyê work together with the municipalities to solve the problems of citizens such as water, electricity and agriculture.
Founded in 2013, the Syriac Women's Union aims to develop women's and social organisation in the Middle East through the solidarity of Arab, Kurdish and Syriac women.
While Naide Zengin was working on building sites in England she had wished to do something for Rojava, so she prepared a greenhouse project. “Finding my country and putting my work into it allowed me to be reborn. In this rebirth there is hope for a brand new world and a future. I have chosen the place I want to die”, she says.
Under the Baath regime, Rojava had to provide wheat for the whole of Syria. And it had to export oil in order to make foreign currency for Syria. Nothing else.
And now? As long as there is war, this will determine the economy of Rojava. 70% of the budget is used for weapons, ammunition, logistics, and so on. That's $10,000 a month. Then the families of fallen fighters need to be supported if they no longer have an income. They are given land and they are accepted into cooperatives. There are also cooperatives being opened in craft and trade specifically for them. Finally, because of the embargo, petrol and wheat cannot be exported. And the prices for commodities like vegetables and textiles are climbing.
Women are the most dynamic force in the economy. What’s special in Rojava is that every day women are organising and taking control of new projects in areas ranging from agriculture to the textile industry. With the communal economy as their basis, the women are developing skills in order to produce according to the needs of the people. Their aim is to provide healthy nutrition and a contented life. They are showing that they can do this themselves.
“If we don't give this to the society then we're going to be just like a company. Then we're not working for Rojava, we're working for ourselves.”
Six women’s cooperatives, agriculture and bakery cooperatives, have been started in Tirbê Spî, town of Qamishlo. 46 women make a living at these cooperatives.
After the success of the winter vegetable growing project in its first year, the Women's Economy Co-operative, which aims to support the social economy and spread the idea of working together, grows vegetables this year as well.
Five years ago, four women founded an agricultural cooperative in Tirbespiyê. Today, forty women work there and the cooperative covers a large part of the demand for vegetables in the Northern Syrian region.
The cultivation of vegetable project in Tirbespiyê area contributes in fulfilling part of the region's need for seasonal vegetables, in addition to securing jobs for women.
The women's cooperatives in Tirbespiyê in Northern Syria are working on building alternatives despite the permanent threat of war and have meanwhile become examples of collective forms of work.
Kongra Star Economy Committee in Hasakah started Demsal Cooperative promoting women’s economic empowerment for the socioeconomic development and building a free and democratic society.
The “Damsal Greenhouse” project was launched in 2015 and covers a large part of the needs of the local market for vegetables, especially in winter.
The cooperative Demsal is a project of the women's economy committee of the women's movement Kongra Star. The cooperative has been active since 2015 and the agricultural process is constantly being expanded to give women the opportunity to take their lives into their own hands.
A model of women's economy is under construction in Rojava and northern and eastern Syria. Half of the agricultural land is now farmed by women's cooperatives.
Al-Raed Co-operative in Tirbespiye is specialised in making guest lounges with harmonious designs and colours. It was formed a year ago, and it has five members, each of whom paid 700,000 SYP [around £1,080]. The Centre for Co-operative Societies has donated 1,5000,000 SYP for the project.
After the economic success of agricultural co-operatives in the last few years, 20 women from Tirbespiye formed a co-operative called Rojava Wheat Spikes Agricultural Co-operative. The Economic Committee was so impressed they decided to give full support to the emerging co-operative. The co-op will cultivate 1,330 dunam (decares) of agricultural land. The women have already started cultivating wheat on 800 dunams.
Co-operative societies in Tirbespiye have been giving economic support for many families, and contributing in developing the communal economy. Women have played the largest role in establishing and developing these co-operatives.
Faced with a war economy and massive historical obstacles, it is remarkable that the AANES has been able to create one of the most stable and self-sufficient economies in the country.
The economic sector has been reorganised anew in a more democratic way. For each canton an “assembly on economy” has been developed which consists of five sub-sectors: Industry, Trade, Agriculture, Co-operatives and Women's Economy.
A journey into the heart of the revolution and the strategies of transition towards a social economy: the multiplication of communes and cooperatives, and experimentation with new models of social, political and economic organisation.
In Rojava, the significance of the co-operative system lies in efforts to democratise all sectors of society, including the economy. For this reason, creating alternative means and avenues that allow traditionally marginalised groups such as women to actively participate and engage with the market is an essential aspect of the radical democratic model.
The Hasakeh City Council, in cooperation with the People's Municipality and neighborhood communes, continues its weekly environmental awareness initiative, which was launched at the beginning of spring. This week, the campaign reached the Al-Aziziyah neighborhood.
Hêvi, a kindergarten opened in the city of Hasakah, aims to provide a safe learning environment to children and support working mothers.
The Inanna Textile Workshop opened in the neighborhood of Neşwa in Hesekê as part of the activities for 8 March.
Over the past years, the AANES has worked to open three greenhouse projects in Northeast Syria to ease the pressure of high prices on the population. The projects also aim to secure various types of locally produced vegetables and limit monopoly by traders.
Kongreya Star Women's Economy Committee has developed agricultural projects for the immigrant women from Serêkaniyê on 5,800 decares of agricultural land.
After dissolving the agricultural committees, the Centre for Co-operative Societies has started to cultivate barley in the agricultural lands in the Easter Dam. The co-operative has 340 participants, and the size of the land is 10,366 dunams [decares].
The Women’s Committee under the Hesekê Economy Directorate has developed several projects to develop women’s economy in the region.
Women's movement Kongreya Star is a motor for the development of women's cooperation and the economic independence of women in North and East Syria.
For International Women's Day 2025, we take an in-depth look into life inside Jinwar women's village in Rojava’s Cizîrê Canton, in northeast Syria. Kurdish News platform Mezopotamya Agency recently carried out an important interview with village residents about life and collective resistance at Jinwar.
Jinwar is a solution against violence and genocide based on the values of women’s liberation, democratic community life, ecology, friendship of peoples and religions.
Women living in Jinwar, an all-women village, work together to build a common life. The village is the place that they always dreamed of living in.
JINWAR is the only village in the Middle East where only women live. It was opened on 25 November 2018 on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Akri Ibrahim – Ahmad Darwish The Economic Council of Dirbêsiyê [Derbesiye / Al-Darbasiyah] succeeded in making several socio-economic achievements in less than one year. The Economic Council of Derbesiye that was formed more than a year ago has managed to develop community economics in the region, and has made six economic achievements to date. 5,161 citizens participate in co-operatives. The Economic
Dirbêsiyê ─ With the start of June, agricultural and livestock co-operative Kasrek [Qesrik], the largest co-operative society of Jazira Canton [Kantona Cizîrê / Cezîre], began harvesting their rain-fed and irrigated crops. They will distribute the profits among 5,300 members. Kasrek Co-operative, a project of The Centre for Economy in Derbesiye [Dirbêsiyê / Al-Darbasiyah], is considered the largest co-op in Jazira
In Kasrek [Qesrik] village of Dirbêsiyê [Derbesiye / Al-Darbasiyah], a co-operative society with 4,000 members started working on its economic, agricultural and livestock projects that will boost the community economy in the region. After a series of meetings of the people in the region, organised by the Economic Council in the Dirbêsiyê area, a new co-operative was formed
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – A director of a private water desalination station in Hasakah Governorate in northeastern Syria said on Wednesday that an urgent need for potable water prompted him to start the project a week ago. The station’s primary mission is to desalinate and purify water, which is then stored in tanks and
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.
Eleven women have successfully formed a co-operative society by buying a power generator. These women were previously stripped from their natural right to work and were distanced from contributing to the communal economy, but thanks to the Rojava Revolution they have reinforced the women's economy and reinstated a role for women in their society.
“The co-operative societies in Serekaniye are based on social, co-operative and communal principles. They are not established only to make profits, and for that reason the administrators of the co-operative societies form meetings and seminars with the participants in the villages and cities, in order to raise awareness and introduce the ideas of co-operatives to the people. It is important to rely on small businesses and encourage participation in co-ops. The organisers in those meetings and seminars also get a chance to listen to the complaints and the needs of the people.”
After the Democratic Autonomous Administration was able to establish a democratic way of life in Northern Syria, they introduced the socio-economic model of co-operative societies. As the revolution has developed, people have begun to form co-operatives. Hundreds of co-operatives are now operating in the area. One of the areas where many co-operatives have spread is in Serêkaniyê city, where residents began forming co-operatives in 2014.
Environmental Committees are being formed in schools in Amuda, as part of a collaboration between the Keziyên Kesk Environmental Association and the Education Authority of the Jazira Canton.
Today is the 25th of December.
At this moment, there are sounds of war planes in the air.
The agricultural cooperatives established by the Jazira Martyrs' Families Council Economy Committee aim to increase livelihoods and job opportunities in the region.
The Economy Committee of Kongra Star has developed a “poultry farming project” to support Arab women’s economic empowerment. The committee plans to develop more projects for women.
The Women's Economy Committee in Amuda district opened a market for vegetables and foodstuffs to break the price and monopoly.
On 17 August 2018, the Kongreya Star Economy Committee opened the Lara cake shop in the neighborhood Enteriyê, east of Qamishlo, to promote women's economy.
Jarudiye is a sparsely populated village on the Turkish-Iraqi-Syrian border triangle in the countryside of Derik, far northeastern Syria. Despite its small size, the residents have taken it upon themselves to manage the affairs of the village to achieve self-sufficiency and supports its development.
Kurdish politician Hevrin Xelef was brutally murdered by a jihadist militia during the Turkish invasion of northern Syria five years ago. Her commitment as Secretary General of the Syrian Future Party is not forgotten.
The Foundation of Free Women in Syria creates job opportunities for women in Dêrik (Al-Malikiyah).
The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg – Dêrik twin town partnership has built the first solar-powered drinking water well for a district of the twin town of Dêrik in Northern Syria.
The Women’s Economy of the Kongra Star has opened a furniture store named "Star Furniture Store" in Dêrik to increase women’s participation in the labour force and achieve their economic independence.
The Aboriya Jin (women's economy) committee of North and East Syria has started buying wheat at the Tekil Beqil cooperative.
North and East Syrian Dêrik People’s Municipality Co-mayor Bêrivan Hisên says the number of women working for the municipality has increased since the revolution in Rojava, adding, “Women municipal workers are more successful than men.
The Women’s Office of Municipal Councils in the Cizîrê region has started the construction of buildings to provide safe space for women as part of its ‘Nûjiyan (English: New Life)’ project. “The door of Nûjiyan will be open to all women.”
4,000 fruit trees have been planted in the Melemerze village of Dêrik (Al-Malikiyah) as part of the “Jiyan (Life) Project” launched by the Women’s Economy. The project will turn into a women’s cooperative when the trees start fruiting next year.
3,800 trees were planted as part of the "Jîyan" project in Derik on the basis of decisions taken in the 3rd conference of the Women's Economic council of Kongra Star, organised by the Aborîya Jin office in Qamishlo.
The Women's Economy Committee of the city of Derik began cultivating crops in Mela Merza.
Ever since devastating twin earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria on the night of 5-6 February killing over 50,000 people and displacing millions, the world’s attention has once again returned to the Turkey-Syria border. A catastrophe for all affected, it has been intensified for Kurds in Turkey and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
Within the scope of the 'Jiyan' project promoted by the Qamishlo Women's Economy Committee, 3,800 fruit trees were planted in Derik.
The economy of the autonomous Administration takes social economy as its main pillar, in which everyone participates to establish a local economy that seeks to reach self-sufficiency.
Even though the necessary outcry by environmental and climate movements to stop the ecological catastrophe that unfolds in the Middle East is missing, slowly the silence is breaking. In this context, Fridays For Future made a step to uncover the Turkish politics with a video they shared on their social platform .
The Turkish state is using the burning of forests and the destruction of nature as a tactic of warfare against the people of the region. The Kurds, but also the Arabic and Christian populations in the region of Mesopotamia* are trying to create attempts of local democracies and autonomy, for which the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria is only one example.
A solar-powered water well has been constructed in Dêrik, a town governed by the Autonomous Administration North and East Syria (AANES), marking a significant advancement in sustainable infrastructure in the Kurdish-led region.
After the Turkish airstrikes against the infrastructure in Rojava, the Democratic Autonomous Administration together with initiatives of international solidarity are developing ecological solutions.
Sarhad Farm is the second biggest livestock-breeding project in Derik. The project is expected to be launched within one month, and it will be owned by a co-operative society with 400 members.
The House of Co-operatives in Derik has started cultivating the 1,550 dunams (decares) of agricultural land that belongs to Axa Welat Co-operative in the village of Haji Matri, one of the villages around Derik in the Qamishlo canton.
Pêşketin Co-operative Society is one of the co-operatives that has taken an important position in the region of Derik. It is divided into two parts, livestock and agriculture. The co-operative has accomplished partial self-sufficiency since its inception, and it has a participatory nature.
The co-operative started with the participation of 50 women who work the land, cultivating, planting and overseeing the growth of the crops.
Adar Bakery is the first bakery to be founded and run by women in Rojava. With the support of the TEV-DEM Women’s Economic Committee, six women were organised in a cooperative and began production in April 2016, communally making the bread and sharing the revenue.
The Women’s Agricultural Co-operative was established in 2015 by Kongreya Star and the Committee of Women’s Economy. It includes 135 members from Derik and the villages of Braaf and Kojerat, who each participated with 65,000 SYP, and planted on 380 dunams of land.
In the Kaniya Kurdan neighborhood of Kobanê, women grow vegetables and raise livestock to make a living.
The Ecology Committee of the Euphrates canton in northeastern Syria has developed a project called, “Vermicompost” to produce organic fertilizer. “The project is an alternative to chemical fertilizers,” said Nesrîn Karho.
The Economy Committee of the Kongra Star have put many projects into practice in Kobanê Canton to promote women’s economic empowerment. 150 women have participated in the labor force thanks to these projects.
Young people in Kobanê are ensuring the economic autonomy of their community through cooperatives being grown to feed needy people.
The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration in northeast Syria announced on Thursday the inauguration of the first foodstuff factory in the country’s northern town of Kobani.
A project called “Women’s Will (Vîna Jinan)” carried out in Kobanî provides job opportunities for women, who couldn’t go to school. Kobanî Women's Committee Spokesperson Cemila Faris spoke to NuJINHA about their project.
House of Supplies or "Vina Jin" is considered one of the most important economic projects that help women - working in the project in particular, and women employed in the city of Kobani, in northern Syria in general - to enable them economically.
It's been one year since the US bombing of Kobanê—then partly occupied by Daesh [ISIS/IS]—and most of the buildings are still in tatters. Kobanê is in Rojava (meaning 'West' in Kurdish), a Kurdish majority region in the north of Syria that declared autonomy from the Assad regime in 2012.
North and East Syria (Rojava) suffers from extensive oil pollution caused by Turkish bombardments of oil refineries, significantly affecting rivers, fields, and air quality, and leading to an increase in cancer cases among residents.
The 26th of April, was set as the official date for the convening of the “Kurdish National Conference” in North and East Syria. This comes after a postponement due to the current war situation in the region and disagreements among parties regarding the conference. The aim of the conference is to establish a unified political reference for the Kurds in Syria, contribute to a just solution for the Kurdish issue within the future of Syria, and guarantee the rights of the Kurdish people through a document agreed upon by the participants. This marks the first time that Syrian Kurdish parties will convene on a common position regarding the Kurdish issue in Syria in over a decade.
New projects allow women to participate in life stronger in Qamishlo. Lilith café and restaurant is one of these projects. The café, run by women, was opened two months ago in the city.
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,
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.
3 women raising sheep in the co-operative they founded in the Tenuriye town in Qamishlo are strengthening women’s economy.
Sewal Darî is a cattle-raising co-operative in Mizgafta. This co-op started in February, 2016 with a herd of 96 lambs. After breeding this grew to more than 179 heads. In order to keep the herd in good health, a special vet has been appointed to look after them.
The bakery has been working well every day, and the bread is being distributed to everyone in the area. The bakery has made 5 million SYP in 6 months. The families of martyrs have received 3 million, and the rest have been used to buy more necessities for making bread such as new machinery and flour.
The Economic Committee of Kongreya Star has opened a grocery shop for three women.
One of the power generator co-operatives in Qamishlo is Jiyan Co-operative. The generator started work a year and two months ago [September 2017]. It has more than 150 members, and the price for a share is 25,000 SYP [around £40]. The project cost 7,400,000 SYP [around £11,500]. The House of Co-operatives donated a fair amount of the cost. The generator needed other equipment in order to operate, including a tablet which cost 400,000 SYP [£620], a battery that cost 100,000 SYP [£155], some cables and other items.
A food manufacturing co-operative society called Yekbûn has been opened by some women in the Hilaliyah neighbourhood in Qamishlo. Yekbûn means "to be one".
The two communes of Shehid Mohammed Amin and Shehid Bahuz, which include 150 families in the Sweis neighbourhood of Qamishlo, have formed an electric co-operative society called Ronak. Their objective is to solve their problems autonomously and serve their neighbourhood. The administration includes seven people, and the price is 1,000 SYP [Syrian Pounds] per amp. The electricity generator will work from 12:00 to 17:00, and from 20:00 to 00:00 on a daily basis.
There are 21 co-operative societies in Qamishlo that are embodying the ideas of communal and participatory life, creating a collective environment at work, and building solidarity among the members of society.
After the announcement of the Democratic Self Administration in 2014, institutions were organised and local councils and committees were formed which concentrated their efforts on the economic situation in the region. One of the missions of the Economic Committee was to support the agricultural, industrial and commercial projects throughout Rojava, with the aim of reaching self-sufficiency, curbing monopoly and exploitation, reducing unemployment and activating the work force, both male and female.
85 members of the Union of Pharmacists formed a medicine co-operative called Zanîn in order to prevent the selling of expired medicines.
Zanîn is a co-operative for medical, dental and pharmaceutical supplies and equipment for hospitals and clinics. The idea for this project came from a group of doctors who work in Jazira. Zanîn is a communal co-operative, and the price of a share is 100,000 SYP. There are a total of 5,000 shares which are collectively worth five hundred million Syrian pounds.
House of Co-operatives in Qamishlo has distributed flyers to introduce people to the concept of co-operative societies, explain how they work, and strengthen the relationship between people and co-operatives.
''Considering the economic situation, the deterioration of the living conditions and the lives of some of the people who live around the two communes, some steps have been taken to help them and support them financially. By letting people participate in the co-operative as members and workers who sell necessities at reduced prices, we help the people to endure the living conditions in the suburbs. There are some people who live in the neighbourhood working in the two projects, and that is reducing unemployment and creating a workforce. We are aiming to increase the economic projects around the commune in order to include more people, help them and cover their needs.''
A group of mostly women residents of Qamishlo set up Shîlan Co-operative for the sale of underwear on 7th January, 2017 in Hilaliya, a neighborhood in Qamishlo. They were able to establish the co-operative with the support of the local council of the city.
The spread of co-operative societies in the region has strengthened the communal spirit and increased participation, many people from villages and towns have approached the centres of co-operatives either to propose projects or to participate in them. In 2014, Nisrîn Co-operative was formed to manufacture cleaning products. There were discussions about it in the commune
Nisrîn is a co-operative society for cleaning products that was formed in Qamishlo five years ago by seven members who collaborated to serve the area of Hilaliyeh, which is far away from the market. In these times there was a lot of monopoly. Each participant contributed with 75,000 SYP. They bought cleaning products from the market, put some shelves up, and started selling them for lower prices than in the market.
Avîn went to Turkey looking for work at the beginning of the Rojava Revolution, but she couldn’t endure the injustice in the treatment of the workers. She returned to Qamishlo and now works in Nisrîn Co-operative. Avîn saiys that in Turkey, they were treating the workers like slaves.
The Women’s Office in east Qamishlo [Qamişlo / Qamishli / Al-Qamishli] has opened a bakery called Lilit to make pastries and manakish. The opening was attended by many of Qamishlo’s residents, as well as members of Kongreya Star [the women’s movement umbrella structure], local councils and institutions of civil society. We headed to Qamishlo’s eastern municipality to get more information,
