News Center – Every year on October 7, the Free Women’s Media Union commemorates Kurdish Women’s Press Day, honoring the long struggle of Kurdish women journalists whose work emerged from both pain and a vision of liberation. The day also pays tribute to Gurbetelli Ersöz, the journalist and revolutionary who was martyred in 1997 in Kurdistan.

In its statement issued on Tuesday, October 7, YRJ emphasized the vital role of women journalists in North and East Syria in confronting misinformation and using the word as a form of resistance. The statement read:

“On October 7, we celebrate Kurdish Women’s Press Day, a day that crowns a long struggle by Kurdish women to break the silence and establish a form of journalism that not only speaks on their behalf but arises from their own suffering, experiences, and free consciousness. The day was first declared during the second conference of the Free Women’s Media Union (YRJ), held in the Medya Defense Zones on this same date in 2013, in honor of the journalist and revolutionary Gurbetelli Ersöz, one of the pioneers of resistance journalism.”

The statement highlighted that this day is a culmination of great sacrifices, foremost among them the sacrifice of Gurbetelli Ersöz, who was martyred in 1997 in Kurdistan.

“Gurbetelli Ersöz was not merely a journalist; she was a symbol of a woman who believed that words can confront bullets and that an image can speak louder than a thousand declarations.”

YRJ noted that Gurbetelli embodied professional integrity and moral courage during some of the harshest times, conveying the voice of truth from the frontlines of resistance to the conscience of the world.

“Her legacy today belongs to every woman journalist who continues her path in North and East Syria, carrying the word as a tool of resistance and a vessel of collective memory.”

The statement also pointed out that the region is currently witnessing a complex reality of media warfare, disinformation, and intellectual blockade, all aimed at silencing women’s voices. Despite this, women journalists in North and East Syria remain at the forefront of defending truth—facing repression and threats while wielding their cameras and microphones not just as tools of reporting, but as weapons of resistance.

According to YRJ, free women’s media now carries a historic responsibility—to safeguard the essence of the women’s revolution and to uphold the values of peace, justice, and equality.

“Free expression is the cornerstone of building a democratic society rooted in dignity and participation. In light of Abdullah Öcalan’s historic call for peace and a democratic society, we reaffirm that media should not be seen merely as a political battlefield, but as a space for building collective awareness. It is therefore the duty of women journalists to embody this spirit through discourse that challenges authoritarian and violent mentalities, fostering dialogue, coexistence, and understanding rather than division and incitement.”

YRJ concluded its statement with a powerful message:

“In honor of the legacy of women martyrs of the press and all those who have carried the word against violence and darkness, we renew our commitment to continue the struggle toward a free, feminist media—one that reflects women’s will to live and resist. Our media must not be confined to information; it must carry an ethical and human message that embodies the spirit of peace we strive for and confronts all forms of occupation, discrimination, and distortion.

On Kurdish Women’s Press Day, we salute all the journalists who write today with fingers of light in the face of darkness, and all those who gave their lives so that the truth may live on. We renew our promise: the free word will remain our platform, the free woman our essence, and peace our ultimate goal.”