Unity of the Kurdish Rank and Position in Rojava Kurdistan Conference was held on 26 April in Qamishlo, North and East Syria. Attended by 400 delegates, the conference was considered as a historic step among the Kurds and at the same time created great enthusiasm and excitement.

 

Conference delegate Sîham Dawûd, head of the Syrian Future Party Headquarters, evaluated the decisions taken at the conference and the atmosphere with a special focus on women. Sîham Dawûd described the atmosphere as "We personally felt that the hearts of 40 million Kurds were beating in Qamishlo". Sîham Dawûd stated that the Kurds once again showed that they are a people who create and pioneer the recipe for peace, democracy and coexistence and said, "It was a very important day in the history of the Kurdish people. Kurdish political parties, Kurdistan political parties, intellectuals and democrats voiced their demands against the policies of extermination and annihilation of Kurds. Those who could not attend sent their messages to the conference. As you know, in the final declaration it was decided to form a delegation. With this committee, work will be carried out to ensure the protection of the Kurds' rights gained in the legal sense."

 

Sîham Dawûd stated that the coexistence of all other identities and beliefs and how women's rights will be realised in the newly shaped Syria are among the main topics of the conference.

 

WOMEN'S CHARTER

 

Sîham Dawûd emphasised that the women's revolution and achievements that sustain the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria will play an important role in the new system to be shaped in Syria, and said "In the autonomous administration, there is a historical basis for both the women's revolution and for women to lead the system. Women have paid a great price in this process. At the conference, it became clear that a women's contract should be made first and foremost. It was stated that this contract should guarantee a system in which all women can take part in state institutions and a co-presidency system can be established. In this sense, we have an exchange with Syrian women about the women's system in the autonomous administration. We transfer our experiences here to them. One of the decisions at the conference was to make 8 March an official holiday. Ensuring that women take part in the new management as pioneers and decision-makers was also one of the issues discussed."

 

Noting that the Syrian Women's Assembly, Kongra Star, Zenûbiya Women's Community and the women's structures of the parties took their places in the conference, Sîham Dawûd said: "As an autonomous administration, we have made significant progress in shaping the future of Syria. For this reason, it is necessary to establish a 'women's network' within Syria. This women's network will play an important role for women who work and organise and will strengthen the role of women in the new system to be established for Syria."

 

Reminding that there is only one woman in the cabinet in the Syrian interim government, Sîham Dawûd stated that women cannot be represented in this way. "The picture presented by HTS is far from the reality of Syrian society," Sîham Dawûd said, underlining that women's will must be recognised.

 

ALL PEOPLES WERE DISCUSSED

 

Sîham Dawûd added: "At the conference, the situation of not only the Kurdish people but all the peoples in Syria was discussed. The necessity of guaranteeing the rights of not only the Kurdish people but also peoples of different identities, religions and beliefs was emphasised. Syria was once brought to such a state that all identities denied one another. The decisions taken at the conference showed that the opposite can happen; that a coexistence can be built with a moral political understanding of society."

 

MA / Ceylan Şahinli