Women marched in 27 different cities in Switzerland today for the strike promoted by some 38 women groups and organisations including Kurdish ones.

Demonstrations have been held in Basel, Luzern, Bern, Zurich and many other Swiss cities. 

The Kurdish Women Union in Switzerland said in a press release: “Today we are on strike all over Switzerland. We salute this wonderful event and are convinced that the resistance of women frees us all".

The statement was read in many cities and continued: “Like our friends all over the world, today we strike together and send a message of unity and solidarity.

On behalf of the Kurdish women's movement, from the mountains of Kurdistan, we salute the women of the world, sisters and comrades. Our greetings come from a region where the struggle for women is taking place, and where women have taken over their organizations and their structures.”

The statement added: “We are on strike here because we defend our fundamental rights against social class, exclusion, exploitation, slavery and ignorance.

We are striking here together for freedom and equality. Freedom and equality are the foundations of our resistance and this resistance is manifest everywhere in the world. On the road to justice for women, many of us have given their lives. They gave their lives to fight against the patriarchal hegemonic, sexist and misogynist system.”

The statement ended with the following words: “We are here today to end 5,000 years of patriarchy. We will defeat war, oppression, sexism, exclusion and exploitation.”