YPG-YPJ (People’s-Women’s Defense Units) fighters and veterans spoke to ANF on March 8, International Working Women's Day, when women continue to raise their struggle in every field.

Mizgîn Îdrîs: I commemorate the fallen women fighters with respect and gratitude. The women of the world should know that March 8 was not easily acknowledged. In 1857, 129 women were burned in a factory in New York. Hundreds of women sacrificed themselves in this struggle. It has a very different meaning for me. A great price was paid. As our leader said, not only March 8, but each day should be women's day. That is why hegemonic forces want to limit women to only one day and weaken women's struggle.

In order for history to be enlightened, women need to claim their labor. On the occasion of March 8, I believe this will happen. Therefore, women's resistance is historical. Women continue their resistance under the leadership of the YPJ. The fact that the Rojava Revolution is a women's revolution is proof of this. Arîn, Avesta, Zehra, Sorxwîn, Azadî and thousands of our martyrs led this revolution fearlessly and courageously. In their person, the women's liberation movement became even stronger. The ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’ uprising in Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan) in particular had broad repercussions all over the world. As our leader stated, the 21st century will be the century of women.

Lalêş Êzidî: In the past, no organization, no party, no scholar adopted a correct approach to women's liberation. The sacred labor of women has always been evaluated upside down from history to the present day. For this reason, women were portrayed as weak. Against the role the system assigned to women, Rêber Apo (Leader Abdullah Öcalan) developed a paradigm based on women's freedom. Women are waging a pioneering struggle in every field based on the paradigm of the Leader. He showed us the path to freedom, and that is why we are bound to him with great love.

Rodî Amed: March 8, International Working Women's Day is very important and meaningful in terms of history. Today in Kurdistan and the Middle East, women have revolutionized through a great struggle. Women have been a creative and effective force in every era. No revolution can reach the level of freedom and democracy without women. In fact, we owe a lot to women. Women are the goddess of truth. From history to the present day, society has been violently targeted in the person of women. Because the woman was the symbol of society and was oppressed in every sense. However, women have never stopped resisting despite all oppression and attacks. Women have an important role in society's struggle for freedom. The struggle has reached a high level. Today, women all over the world are coming together within the framework of Leader Apo's paradigm and resisting the male-dominated system together. We have yielded and continue to yield thousands of martyrs in the development of the women's liberation line. Of course, freedom is not easy, and very heavy prices are paid for it. Our duty is to spread the struggle with the memories of our martyred women comrades, in the spirit of Rêber Apo and to fulfill our promise of a free life.