Qamishlo – Journalist Gurbetelli Ersöz was killed on the seventh of October 1997 in the Kurdistan Region, after leaving journalistic work in Turkey as a result of restrictions and arrest, and joining the ranks of armed struggle.

Syrian female journalists affirmed their commitment to continue pursuing the truth and documenting events, during a dialogue seminar held by the Women's Media Union (YRJ) at its headquarters in Qamishlo city today, Wednesday, the seventh of October, with the participation of dozens of workers in various independent and public media institutions.

The discussion session was moderated by journalist Kolestan Khaled and member of the Women's Media Union Council Yara Mohammed. The interventions focused on the pivotal role of the female journalist in defending facts and conveying reality despite the continuous challenges facing their professional careers.

Kolestan Khaled explained that "Kurdish Women Journalists' Day is not just an occasion for commemoration, but is a station for evaluating the legacy we walk upon today. Gurbetelli Ersöz presented a model for women's journalism, and it is important that we develop ourselves according to this model; professionalism does not develop merely by transmitting news quickly and following events without understanding their backgrounds well, as a journalistic model or standard cannot be built without a clear vision. Therefore, the most important thing women must possess is vision and discipline, and this importance increases when the woman is a journalist."

She described journalism as revolutionary work whose characteristics match the struggle of revolutionaries for truth and the marginalized, noting that states' control over media outlets today has led many journalists to adopt the language of authority and the absence of opposition to regimes. She warned of the worsening discrimination against female journalists if they do not renew and develop their professional tools, calling for the optimal use of digital media platforms to entrench the perspective of building and understanding society.

She stressed the necessity of the collective will of media institutions, especially women's and public departments, to serve and enlighten society, especially since society faces fierce attacks aimed at destroying its hope and faith, which doubles the responsibility of the press in spreading hope and raising awareness.

"Female Journalists Can Draw Attention to the Most Important Issues"

For her part, journalist Yara Mohammed addressed the reality of women's journalism in Rojava, where she recalled the female journalists who sacrificed their lives for the sake of documenting history, foremost among them Delishan Ibesh, Jihan Belkin, and Deniz Firat. "Female journalists can draw attention to the most important issues, and be a source of solutions to society's suffering, through their color, identity, ideas, and viewpoints," confirming that without the Kurdish press, nothing could have been offered to society. "Kurdish identity faces threats that require knowing how to protect and guarantee it in the constitution and law."

Yara Mohammed drew attention to the difficulties facing female journalists, saying that female media professionals still face obstacles and neglect, but nevertheless they constantly resist the idea that this is not their job or that they cannot do it. She also pointed to the role of female journalists in constitutional and legal reforms for women's rights in Rojava, and therefore the importance of conveying women's voice.