A meeting was held in Sulaymaniyah by Kurdish women from Europe and four parts of Kurdistan in preparation for the 3rd National Women’s Conference where opening speeches were given and activity reports were read. Committees from four parts of Kurdistan gave presentations afterwards.

The meeting organized by the Kurdistan Women's Communities (KJK) was attended by 80 delegates from political parties and women organizations from all four parts of Kurdistan and Europe.

The meeting comprised three major sessions. The first session included presentations on "The situation of women in four parts of Kurdistan", the second session covered the "Necessities of a joint organization of Kurdish women and National Unity", and the third handled "Layout and introduction of a committee for the implementation of the 3rd National Women's Conference".

The very first National Women's Conference was carried out in 2012 in Amed city in North Kurdistan and the second one in 2013 in South Kurdistan's Hewler city.

BASHÛR: THE GENDER ISSUE GOES DEEPER THAN THE NATIONAL ISSUE

Seywan Resûl spoke in the name of the Southern Kurdistan committee and stated that it is very important for the Kurdish women to get together due to political, geographical and physical barriers and said: “Kurdish women know no borders in continuing the struggle today, like they didn’t in the past. In the past, we most actively played our role in the Kurdish women’s struggle against the Iraqi state. We didn’t bow down, even after Enfal and other massacres, and we continued with our struggle. The leaders of the 1991 raperîn were women once again. That struggle continues against ISIS atrocities today.

“Women’s issues go deeper than national issues,” said Seywan Resûl and added: “We say that these issues are political. Social, gender, economic and cultural issues all have political reasons at the root. Today unfortunately we see women excluded from politics and the economy, despite the struggle they waged and the price they paid. Again in Southern Kurdistan we see the laws being made with a mindset that is dismissive of defending women’s rights instead of defending women. We can say that similar issues persist in education as well.”

BAKÛR: WE WILL PREVAIL IF WE UNITE

HDP MP Mizgîn Irgat spoke in the name of the Northern Kurdistan committee after Resûl and said they wanted to attend the meeting with a larger group, but “hundreds of our friends are in prisons in Northern Kurdistan right now. Our MPs and representatives are in prisons. That shows the fear they have against our struggle. As the enemy comes at us, we as the Kurdish women increase our struggle further. Today there is a great struggle in every corner of Kurdistan and all metropolitan cities of Turkey.”

Mizgîn Irgat said the struggle of the Kurdish women in the Middle East has been an inspiration for women and all the oppressed peoples of the world and added: “As there are great changes in the Middle East, we as the Kurdish women and the Kurdish people should take playing our role and ensuring status for our people as a priority. And that will happen if we are united. We will prevail if we unite. The conferences held previously in Amed and Hewlêr have been a great source of experience for us and there have been gains from them. The struggle against ISIS led by the Kurdish women was a show of our strength and unity.”

ROJHILAT: WE MUST UNITE

3 separate presentations were given in the name of Rojhilat (Eastern) Kurdistan. Soyle Qadirî spoke in the name of 5 political parties and women’s organizations from Rojhilat Kurdistan and said: “Kurdish women participated in the 1979 revolution in Eastern Kurdistan with great hopes for change. The Kurdish women were in a leading role in Mahabad, and were the first to be attacked after the revolution.” Qadirî stated that the women in Rojhilat and Iran are experiencing great hardships and continued: “Kurdish women continue their struggle both political and military areas today. Of course there are particularities for every part. The struggle takes on unique characters according to these. I hope that unifying the struggles will bring victory to our people and our women.”

Eastern Kurdistan Free Women’s Society KJAR Executive Council Member Gulan Fehîm gave a short presentation and spoke about the women’s struggle in four parts of Kurdistan, then stressed that Rojhilati women should ensure their own unity first. Gulan said: “Us women can stop the fragmented situation. But first we need to get rid of the fragmentation in our minds.” A short presentation was given in the name of Komala Communist Party of Rojhilat after Gulan Fehîm.

ROJAVA: WE ARE WEAVING A REVOLUTION

Hediye Yusif spoke in the name of the Rojava committee and, mentioning the change and conflict in the Middle East, said: “In this period in time when the capitalist modernity and the democratic modernity are at war in the Middle East, the Kurdish women acting under the lead of Leader Apo’s philosophy represent the democratic modernity, while ISIS thuggery represents the capitalist struggle. This conflict continues today all over Rojava in the military area as well as economic, cultural, social, political and all other areas. The Rojava revolution itself is the best example of this, as a women’s revolution.”

Hediye Yusif stressed that the Kurdish women didn’t only make the revolution, but they fight hard to protect and develop the revolution and said: “Kurdish women are not only displaying their will through the revoluton or by fighting ISIS. Protecting the revolution is also a great area of struggle for the Kurdish women. From justice to the economy, politics to art, communes to cultural efforts, life to education, Kurdish women continue to weave their system loop by loop in all areas, along with the women of other peoples they live together with.

SHENGAL: “WHERE WERE YOU UNTIL IT CAME TO THE GENOCIDE?”

Kurdê Elî spoke in the name of the Shengal committee and started with a reproach to Kurdish women and said: “We as the Êzidî women have waited for years for the Kurdish women to give us support. Unfortunately, nobody saw us until the ISIS genocide. When the attacks came, we started to see the guerrilla and the women of Rojava first. We as the Êzidî women are in so much pain. Why didn’t you ever think you had sisters over there? It is our right to ask this. But today we have our systems in place. We are not the old Êzidîs anymore. We as the Êzidî Kurdish women expect the support you failed to show until the genocide of August 3 now.”

Kurdê Elî received a standing ovation from everyone in the hall.