The democratic nation system built in Northern and Eastern Syria, centered on women's freedom as an alternative to the male-dominated capitalist system, has been built step by step with great determination for 12 years, despite the attack and embargo. Contrary to the nation-state system based on domination, the model based on democratic life together is being built and developed by Kurd, Arab, Armenian and many other people under the leadership of women in all cities of Northern and Eastern Syria.

 

This struggle, which reached the world's women from the most oppressive country of the Middle East (Syria), grew stronger neighbourhood by neighbourhood, village by village, street by street, promising "another world" to all women.

 

FROM YEKÎTIYA STAR TO KONGRA STAR   

 

The struggle, whose foundations were laid in 2005 with Yekîtiya Star against the oppressive policies and approaches of the male-dominated mentality of the BAAS regime, took on an autonomous structure under the umbrella of Kongra Star on January 15, 2016. Kongra Star Coordination Spokesperson Remziye Mihemed has been organizing herself since 2016 with the slogan "Society Cannot Be Liberated Without Women's Liberation". Remziye Mihemed made evaluations about the women's struggle.

 

PIONEERING THAT CHANGED HISTORY

 

Stating that the organizational process in the region has evolved into an important process with Yekîtiya Star, Remziye Mihemed said that Yekîtiya Star led the uprising of the Kurds in the attacks that started as a result of the provocateur of the regime during the football match in Qamişlo on March 12, 2004. Remziye Mihemed said: "We first saw here what women can do when organized. In the first years of the war, the women living here were not taken into account by the BAAS regime or other paramilitary organizations. Because women did not exist for them and women participated in the war that started in 2011 with the experience of the rebellion in 2004. History changed for us when we led the revolution."

 

WOMEN IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE

 

Remziye Mihemed said that women's organization is instrumental in achieving gains not only in war but also in the construction of society, and added that after this stage, a big step was taken in the transition to a democratic nation structure with the recognition of women's identity. Remziye Mihemed stated that with the inheritance they received from Yekîtiya Star, their organization took on an autonomous structure with the Autonomous Administration and said: “After the war, women's organizing activities started. It became clear that women could come together against occupation and exploitation with a common feeling. Many studies have been carried out in this sense. We can say that the co-presidency system has been in place in the Autonomous Administration since 2016. We are at the quota we set for women's representation. Women are encouraged to take part in every field. Child marriage and the deprivation of women's right to inheritance were fought against. Women were given the right to keep their children after divorce. A lot of this work was achieved through the establishment of Mala Jin.”

 

3 PERCENT DECLINE IN MASSACRES OF WOMEN

 

Stating that they are trying to create a "democratic family" structure within the philosophy of a democratic nation, Remziye Mihemed said that they are trying to do this by ensuring the liberation of women. Stating that the parliament and women's institutions are carrying out the process of violence against women sensitively, Remziye Mihemed said: “We can say that there has been a 3 percent decrease in femicide in Northern and Eastern Syria in the last year. The most important reason for this was that after the revolution, the Autonomous Administration banned child marriages and polygamy. We can also count the fight against the private war that is being waged here."

 

IDEA OF OCALAN

 

Referring to the principles they based on in women's organization, Remziye Mihemed said: “We established women's academies and, in these academies, we based our commitment on the martyrs of the revolution, the values of the revolution, the basic principles on which the women's freedom struggle and Autonomous Administration are based. We strengthen the idea of a democratic nation by including women of all identities in our studies. With the Hîlala Zêrîn movement we founded against cultural genocide; we created a space where women from different identities come together. A special displacement policy is being followed for the region. Against this, a struggle is being built in which women claim their land. All these developments took place with the Rojava Revolution. The system we created is the idea of People's Leader Mr. Abdullah Ocalan, we have put it into practice." Noting that in addition to women, men were also given training on the basis of "free equal-life", Remziye Mihemed said that awareness is also raised among men receiving education in the Şehba and Cizîr cantons.

 

'THE STRUGGLE OF ALL WOMEN'

 

Pointing out that the "Rojava Revolution" made a space for Middle Eastern women to breathe, Remziye Mihemed continued as follows: "We see that women are targeted first in the recent attacks on the Autonomous Administration. It is not a coincidence that the women who led the revolution and the life created by women here are targeted. I mentioned it at the beginning; This life we have built with women's hands nourishes the perspective of a democratic nation. This is seen as a threat to the male system of nation states and is targeted. In this sense, what we are carrying out here is the history of women's struggle. It is the struggle of women all over the world."

 

Remziye Mihemed underlined that they will expand the women's struggle in the Middle East on the way to March 8. 

 

MA / Ceylan Şahinli