Ronida Haji

Al-Hasakah _ Over long decades, women have suffered from repeated and vared patterns of violence under a global system dominated by an authoritarian male mentality, where decision-making centers still treat women as a margin in public life, ignoring their humanity and their right to identity and existence, thereby entrenching policies of exclusion and marginalization.

Roxan Muhammmad, the spokesperson for YPJ, explained to our agency that issue of women’s freedom is a public issue. "In Syria, after years of women's struggle, especially after the launch of the Rojava revolution in 2012, women's presence has become more visible. This has been particularly evident in Rojava, where the women's movement took a different path. Women organized themselves, established their institutions, armed themselves with thought and knowledge, strengthened their position within military forces, led the process of organizing the society that relies on them, and became the axis of the revolution."

"The existing system does not address women's issues"

Roxan Muhammad pointed out that the problems and crises witnessed in the Middle East stem from things having moved away from their natural state and the exclusion of women from all areas of life. "If we want to understand this society and this life, we must look at them from a woman's perspective. Many of the world's problems described as crises – such as water shortages, environmental problems, wars, and economic crises – essentially stem from the historical exclusion of women. Yet women are in a unique position that enables them to resolve these crises, because their methods of treatment and their natural vision are different, and they are the ones who organize society."

The YPJ leader indicated that a woman‑hostile mentality has been entrenched in Syria, affirming that it is "a mentality that marginalizes women's existence and claims that they cannot occupy positions in government or have a say in decision‑making. The existing system does not address women's issues naturally or scientifically."

"Women bring down the walls of the power fortress through their struggle"

Roxan Muhammad also spoke about women's struggle and their organization in Rojava, affirming that the primary goal is to return everything to its essence. "In Rojava, with this revolution, we shattered the idea that women have no right to decision‑making or existence. Women are the source of the system's success, because everything had been distorted – the system and nature, society, the economy, the army – all had been removed from their true meaning and deviated from their path."

But with women, as she explains, "we returned the nature of life in Rojava to its path once again. We organized ourselves, advanced in knowledge, and built women's personality. Thanks to women's science 'Jinology,' women are returning everything to its true nature, and they have indeed brought about a revolution in all fields."

The struggle that women in Rojava have waged until today, she says, is "a great struggle, but it is not enough." She explains: "The more we struggle, the more attacks against us increase. The state fears this struggle greatly. The authoritarian system built itself as a fortress, and women, through their struggle and organizing society, are tearing down its walls. There is no time to stop the struggle; as long as humans breathe, struggle will continue in all its forms."

Roxan Muhammad affirmed that wars and power systems target the structures that women have built, as well as the culture they have created, women's identity, and the societal organization that women themselves founded.

(YPJ) represents a model and an ethical and human culture

On April 26, the Joint Action Platform of Women's Movements and Organizations launched a campaign to support the Women's Protection Units (YPJ). This campaign is very important, because supporting the YPJ is not limited to formalizing its existence within the Syrian Ministry of Defense or consolidating women's place in the Syrian constitution. For women, the YPJ represents a model, an ethical and human culture, as well as a culture of existence and identity.

Our speaker says this and affirms that the YPJ is a force not only of hundreds or thousands of individuals, but "it is a society, an organization, and an integrated system. It is necessary to clearly understand how women's identity can be guaranteed in the fundamental constitution of Syria. This is extremely important, and our struggle has been built on this foundation."

"Society's respect, trust, and acceptance of the YPJ is our greatest achievement"

In concluding her speech, YPJ spokesperson Roxan Muhammad called for unity and the strengthening of struggle. "We are an organized force. Our society has accepted us and continues to support us constantly. This is our greatest achievement. We have earned the respect of our people and our region. But in order to protect our path, our martyrs, and our people, our force must be recognized in Syria. This is a legitimate right. And in order to build a genuine democratic Syria, to achieve peace and stability, this force must be recognized and accepted."