Nûjîn Derya: Jinwar is the place of women’s management

“The first thing that people think about Jinwar is the communal life, the free-equal life,” Nûjin Derya, member of Jineology Academy and one of the founders of Jinwar (women’s village) village, said.

RONAHÎ NÛDA

Qamishlo- The village of Jinwar is located in the western part of the ed-Derbasiah district in al-Hasakah canton in North Syria. The revolution in Rojava is also known as a women’s revolution. The village of Jinwar is one of the achievements of women. It is based on the principle of free-equal life and aims to give women a safe place to live without violence and oppression. The construction of the houses in the village, also known as the land of women, started on March 10, 2017. It was officially inaugurated on 25 November 2018, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

There is an academy, hospital, supermarket, women’s healing center called, “Şîfa Jin” where patients are treated with herbs, a tailor shop, and a school for children. Women provide the security of the village.

We spoke to Nûjin Derya, a member of Jineology Academy and one of the founders of Jinwar, about the village.

“Before speaking about the village, I want to say that I am a member of the Jineology Academy and one of the founders of Jinwar village. We worked hard to found the village. There are all-women’s villages all around the world. For Instance, there is a women's village in Kenya named Umoja. Women founded the village to protect themselves from male violence. There is also a women’s village in Colombia. The village was built by women who have suffered displacement as a result of Colombia's fifty-year civil war and domestic violence. There are also women’s villages in Egypt and India. We can see that women had communes and schools in history. In the middle ages, in European countries, women came together as Saints and lived together.  Most of the villages in NE Syria have been named after women because women have played a great role in villages.”

“Jinwar's construction period was very sacred”

Speaking about the construction period of Jinwar village, Nûjin Derya said:

“Before Jinwar was founded, everyone dreamed of founding a women’s village. When women were asked about their dreams for the future, almost all of them said their dream was to build a women’s village. After the Revolution in Rojava, women had an opportunity to realize their dream. Women’s organizations and institutions held many meetings to discuss how we could build the village. After discussion, women decided to form a committee to build the village and the construction of the village was to be completed by November 25, 2018. The reason why we decided to complete the construction of the village was to show that women don’t accept violence, occupation, and attacks against women. The construction of the houses in the village started on March 10, 2017. It was officially inaugurated on 25 November 2018, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. But the construction period continued for two years with the effort of hundreds/thousands of people. For this reason, the construction period of the village was a very sacred period for us. Many men said, “Women cannot live alone in a village.” But then they realized that women managed to build a village on their own. They are convinced that women can live alone.” 

“Jinwar is a part of women’s revolution”

Highlighting that Jinwar was founded to ensure a communal and equal life, Nûjin Derya continued to talk as follows:

“The first thing that people think about Jinwar is the communal life, the free-equal life of society. Children and women live together in the village. People living in the village express their thoughts and ideas freely. The people of the village can establish relations with their neighbors, nature, the region, and even with the whole world. Jinwar is a part of the women’s revolution. This revolution had a great impact on people of all ages. Jinwar is a space to struggle for freedom and life.”

“Jinwar means communal life”

Nûjin Derya also talked about the system in Jinwar.

“The system in Jinwar was set up by women’s experiences. It is based on the ideology of a democratic nation. The society organizes itself freely and consciously in this village. I should say that the construction of the village continues and it will always continue with innovations. No one can live individually in Jinwar because there is a communal life in the village and everyone has a relationship with everyone. The village has an assembly and the assembly holds meetings. At the meeting, women discuss the problems they face and their solutions. There is a self-criticism mechanism in the village. Jinwar is in touch with all regions of NE Syria. There is an academy in the village because education is very important to build a democratic nation system. Education can change a society. There is a school named Mother Uweyş for children. There is also a women’s healing center named ‘Şîfa Jin’.”

“Freedom is the cure of all diseases”

Speaking about the work of the Şîfa Jin, Nûjin Derya said:

“Health is a very important issue if we want to build a free society. There aren’t only physical diseases. The economy and system cause many diseases. All diseases cannot be treated with medicines. In Jinwar, community health is important for us. First, we must determine our diseases and then change our lives. If we want to have a healthy life, we must first build a healthy and ecological life. Şîfa Jin provides treatment to patients with herbs. The women working for Şîfa Jin produce medicines with herbs by using scientific knowledge. Women receive training on health. The philosophy of the Şîfa Jin is 'freedom is the cure for all diseases, and freedom heals diseases’.”

“Security is an important issue,” Nûjin Derya said, “Because there is an ongoing war in NE Syria. We have faced the attacks of the enemy and patriarchal mindset. Many men still do not accept the existence of women. In Jıinwar, security doesn’t mean only military, it means the establishment of good relations, knowing each other, establishing good relations with nature and soil. All these are a method of self-defense.”

“We should first understand the reason for problems”

Drawing attention to the problems raised in Jinwar and the ways and methods to solve these problems, Nûjin Derya said:

“Although there is a communal life in Jinwar, we sometimes have problems, too. Women often run away from problems they face and they don’t want to see them. But in Jinwar, we discuss problems we have faced and try to solve them together. We should first understand the reasons for problems before solving them. Sometimes, we cannot solve problems by discussing them so we solve these problems in life.”

“Boys grow up as non-violent, democratic and free individuals”

Nûjin Derya also talked about boys raised in Jinwar.

“There are also boys in Jinwar. This village is also their village. If they want to leave the village when they grow up, they can. To have a free-equal life, both sexes should understand each other. The boys in the village grow up as non-violent, democratic, and free individuals. This is great hope for the future.”

“Jinwar is a place for education”

Stating that Jinwar is the place of women’s management, Nûjin Derya said that our village is also a place for education.

“Jinwar is the place of women’s management. Many committees have been formed in the village. Many families and men have visited the village. Jinwar is not only a place for living but also for education. Jinwar is like an academy and people visiting the village learn many things from the life in the village. The women living in the village have built a free-equal life with their children.”

“Jinwar is based on the principle of communal economy”

Speaking about the economy in Jinwar, Nûjin Derya said:

“Jinwar is based on the principle of communal economy. It is a self-sufficient village. The women living in the village plant trees, wheat, and barley and raise animals. There is a bakery in the village. Women bake their own bread. We also have vineyards and orchards. The economy of the village is the communal economy.”

“The door of Jinwar is open to all women”

Underlining that the door of Jinwar is open to all women, Nûjin Derya said:

“Jinwar is a very important and meaningful place. For this reason, it is necessary to share the development and experiences in the village with the whole world. The door of the village is open to all women, who want to come or visit the village. All women who want to live free, to improve themselves, to learn and teach new things can visit us.”

Tomorrow: “Jineology aims to heal the wounds of society with its research”