In an interview published by Women Defend Rojava, Foza Yûsif, the Executive Committee Member of the Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) assessed the political developments and women’s work in northern and eastern Syria in 2019.

She described the establishment of the women’s council in North and East Syria as one of the biggest gains of women in 2019, and said that women through this council now have a organized power to solve their problems.

Yusif said: "In the last 8 years of the Syrian crisis, Northern and Eastern Syrian women have been in constant revolution and struggle. In my opinion, one of the biggest gains of 2019 was the establishment of the 'Women’s Council of Northern and Eastern Syria'. I think this was a historical step. Because the council is struggling for women to adopt a common attitude with their activities in changing and developing society. The participation to the council of women of different ethnicities of the region has improved significantly. This is very important in terms of collective work and ability of benefit from different experiences."

Talking about family, women and men relations, Yusif said: "Family is important for human formation. People are first educated in the family. That school should be developed continuously.Because parents are the first teachers of the individual. A non-successful teacher cannot raise a successful generation. Therefore, the actions carried out by women’s organizations are important and necessary.We all need to know how to live, how to exchange with each other, and how to create a developed family life.We also need to restructure our relationship with the family. Because a decline in the family mentality brings with it a mental crisis and has other consequences. Therefore, new measures are needed in male-female relations. We must fight against the phenomenon of violence against women in the family."

As to women' struggle in relation to men, Yusif underlined: "We should also know very well that the struggle for women’s for liberation is also a men`s struggle. Because a man who has respect of himself and give value to his life wants to live with a free woman who has a free will and understanding. Living with a servant doesn’t mean friendship. Is a relationship only in the framework of the slave-owner , which means the decline of society."

As for the message to women for 2020, Yusif said: "As a women’s administration, we realized a social revolution. No power can break our hope of free and honorable life. Rape and immoral attacks on women’s dead bodies cannot make us step back. On the contrary, it gives us strength to continue on our way."