MEHRBAN SALAM

Sayyid Sadiq — The First Hesar Festival in the Kurdistan Region serves as a vital platform for empowering women to showcase their handmade and cultural products, giving them the opportunity to display their work, encouraging self‑reliance, and presenting their traditional local foods, handicrafts, and artistic works.

The "First Hesar" Festival was held in the city of Sayyid Sadiq in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, with broad participation from local producers, attracting more than 40,000 visitors over three days, including a notable proportion of women, in an event aimed at highlighting farmers' products, Kurdish cuisine, and strengthening the presence of local industries.

Zaryan Mohammed, who has been working in decorative flowers, paintings, and ceramics for five years, expressed her satisfaction with participating in the First Hesar Festival, noting that the organizers provided a suitable space for exhibitors and gave them the opportunity to present their products to a wide audience.

She stressed that her presence at the festival helped showcase her work and enhance her communication with visitors, pointing to the notable turnout for her products, especially from young people and children. "Our products include ceramic pieces used in home decoration, in addition to decorative flowers that have seen increasing interest, and can be purchased as gifts for mothers or wives," she said, confirming that all her works received great appreciation during the festival days.

She affirmed that "this festival was very positive for me in many ways, and it allowed me to broaden my horizons. Women's activities and work opportunities vary across different regions, but women can find their place and impact, because women are a great source of pride for all of Kurdistan."