NUCAN ARAS

Hasakah (Hesekê)- On March 8, International Women’s Day, women all over the world took to the streets to voice their demands. This year, March 8 had a historic meaning for Kurdish and Middle Eastern women in particular. They flocked to the streets on March 8 with the enthusiasm of the “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan on February 27, 2025, the architect of the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ philosophy, which has become a slogan for women’s struggle for freedom and inspired women all around the world.

North and East Syria, where the women's revolution took place, was one of the places where women flocked to the streets to voice their demands. Women from different ethnic and religious identities such as Arab, Kurdish, Armenian and Syriac women flocked to the streets in the region on March 8 by wearing their traditional clothes and chanting slogans such as “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (English: Women, Life, Freedom)”.

‘Women get stronger by overcoming obstacles’

“Women’s struggle for freedom, justice, equality and rights continues all around the world,” said Xalîde Botî, spokesperson of Kongra Star in Hasakah. “March 8 has a symbolic and historic meaning for the women's struggle. With a common spirit and solidarity awareness, women have resisted and struggled against the mindset that aims to enslave women by targeting them, leaving them without an identity and ignoring them. Despite everything, women get stronger by overcoming obstacles.”

‘Women should activate their self-defense mechanisms’

Women and children are targeted by wars waged in the world and the Middle East, Xalîde Botî underlined. “The language used by governments first targets women, leading to poverty, displacement, massacres and exploitation. Women should unite, be in solidarity with each other and activate their self-defense mechanisms under all circumstances.”

‘Women make life meaningful’

The Rojava Revolution that took place in North and East Syria has inspired women all around the world, Xalîde Botî, stressed, adding:

“This revolution is a new light of hope for women. Thanks to Abdullah Öcalan’s paradigm based on women’s freedom, ecology and ethics, women have achieved many gains in North and East Syria. The Rojava Revolution has provided significant effort and experience in ensuring social stability. Since the system and model in North and East Syria are new in the world, many people are interested in this system and model. Women of North and East Syria have broken taboos with the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ philosophy and built their own perspectives against the system that ignores and overshadows women. Women make life meaningful by playing a leading role in society.”

Xalîde Botî concluded her speech by calling on all women to strengthen their struggle for freedom, democracy, equality and justice.