URFA - Kongra Star member Menal Mihemed stated that they will continue to defend the women's gains they have achieved during the last 10 years and said, "We will continue to maintain our alliances with women's movements and strengthen women's movements."

 

Middle East Women's Revolution Conference lead by Kongra Star, Syrian Women's Council, North and East Syria Women's Council, Jineology Academy, Assyrian Women's Union, Zenûbya Women's Community and Women's Defense Units (YPJ) was held on July 22 at Rojava University in the Qamishlo city of North and East Syria.

 

The women, who came together with the slogan "We will strengthen and protect the gains of the revolution with the unity of women", regarding the 10th anniversary of the July 19 Rojava Revolution, discussed the problems faced by the women of the Middle East, the solutions and the female dimension of the revolution for 2 days. In the forum, women took 8 important decisions.

 

Among the women who participated in the forum, Kongra Star and Middle East Women's Revolution Forum Preparatory Committee member Menal Mihemed spoke to the Mesopotamia Agency (MA).

 

Mihemed stated that they decided to organize the forum in the 10th anniversary of the Rojava Revolution and started the work for this under the roof of Kongra Star. Gathering with 7 women's institutions and councils in Northern and Eastern Syria, Mihemed said:  "A program was organised on fundamental and important issues. Topics such as 'how women progressed before the revolution, how they contributed to the revolution, how they took part in the revolution and where international women stood in the revolution' became the main topics. The situation of women in the political and local areas was also evaluated.

 

ATTACKS OF THE PARAMILITARY GROUPS

 

Stating that on the first day of the forum, how women developed themselves in the military and political arena and the attacks of paramilitary groups affiliated with Turkey were discussed, Mihemed said: "The destruction caused by Turkey's attacks was discussed both with its political and ideological dimensions. The troubles and problems faced by women from Northern and Eastern Syria in democratic fields were also discussed. In addition, developments in the field of diplomacy were discussed." 

 

WOMEN LEAD IN ALL AREAS

 

Noting that on the second day of the forum, 4 workshops were held on social, legal, economic and political-diplomacy, Mihemed said that there were discussions on how women can improve themselves in these 4 fields. Mihemed said, “The struggle of women in Northern and Eastern Syria and the Rojava Revolution were not the only things we discussed. We set an aim for us to strengthen the women to lead in all areas of life and their struggle."

 

FROM NORTH AND EAST SYRIA TO NORTH AFRICA

 

Stating that the influence of the Rojava Revolution spread from Northern and Eastern Syria to the Middle East and North Africa, Mihemed stated that they wanted to spread the revolution to around the globe. Mihemed said that the women in the forum had a better understanding of the role of women in the revolution and said: "Women drew attention to the organised structures in places of revolution and the activity of women's institutions. We have carried out similar work in the Middle East before and formed alliances. We will continue to maintain our alliances with women's movements and to strengthen women's movements in the future. On this basis, we also came together with international women. By participating in the war in Northern and Eastern Syria, they fought not only to pave our way, but for all peoples to be free. They participated in this war specifically for the construction of the Rojava Revolution, many of them were martyred for this cause. We have taken it as a basis to further strengthen our alliances with them.”

 

Mihemed noted that the Kurdish woman politician Hevrin Xelef, Secretary General of the Future of Syria Party, who was murdered in northern Syria on October 12, 2019, was also commemorated at the forum. Stating that in the 10th year of the revolution, attention was drawn to the achievements of women in every field and said, “The connection of all the achievements of women in social, economic, legal, political-diplomacy issues with each other was discussed. We cannot separate one  from the other. We cannot say that women are strong in the political and social field, but weak in the economic field. This is at the root of the great troubles women face today. This was also noted on the forum."

 

TURKEY TARGETING WOMEN

 

Referring to Turkey's threats of another attack on Northern and Eastern Syria, one of the main issues discussed at the forum, Mihemed said, "It was also noted how Turkey targets women here. Martyr Jiyan herself drew attention to this issue.  And she became a target herself on July 24 and fell martyr. On this occasion, I commemorate her as well. She also expressed that the struggle against these attacks should be expanded, and then she was murdered."

 

Emphasizing the importance of women's participation in the construction of a democratic Syria, Mihemed reminded that YAT commander Jiyan Tolhildan was murdered after the forum and said, "Yes, the forum ended with great sad news. However, we promise that we will take Jiyan's struggle to a higher level until we reach our goals and objectives. We will continue to defend the gains we have achieved over the past 10 years.”

  

 

MA / Ceylan Şahinli