YJA Star commander Sarya Qamishlo spoke to ANF about the meaning and legacy of 8 March and said that YJA Star guerrillas, are celebrating this 8 March in war positions in a great struggle.

Sarya Qamishlo said that women guerrillas saluted 8 March with the enthusiasm of fighting on the front lines of the war in all war fronts from North Kurdistan to the South, from Xakurkê to Heftanin. "I pay tribute to the martyrs and to all women of the world who resist the fascist occupying mentality from the positions of struggle. I send them my love."

Commander Qamishlo added: "As YJA Star forces, we welcome 8 March in war positions in a great struggle. The meaning of 8 March is the act of being, free, against the mentality of occupation and destruction, the day of struggle and war."

Reminding that the patriarchal system has been trying to destrtoy women for thousands of years, Sarya Qamishlo said: "Leader Apo showed us that women are not defeated. Women still have a great self and will. Although for thousands of years the will of women has been attacked, their thoughts have not been completely destroyed. Despite all the attacks from the depths of history to the present day, women have managed to carry their goddess cultures and life-forming aspects and their will to the present day, and now they are fighting for their freedom, for a new world. Today, this struggle has been named with 8 March and gained a deeper meaning."

Qamishlo added: "Let's not forget that even the acceptance of 8 March as the world women's day was achieved with great effort and costs. The struggle against the occupying fascist system in the positions of war against occupation is to increase the historical and current meaning of March 8 and to protect its historical identity.

It is our meaning and necessity to fight against the ruling system on 8 March, to enlarge the areas of resistance and to be women. Today, the whole world sees it very clearly and witnesses the resistance of women. As YJA Star forces, we salute 8 March in search of answers by increasing the resistance from the resistance areas."

Commander Qamishlo continued: "On such a day with its historical and current meaning and responsibilities, Kurdish women must be aware of their mission. Because the struggle of Kurdish women has been a source of power for all women. The relentless struggle and great costs that Kurdish women have been paid for 40 years have a great meaning for women's freedom. As a result, Kurdish women should be aware of this meaning and act according to their responsibilities, because the struggle of Kurdish women is a leading one and is one of the greatest examples to be given to the revolutionary developments created by women."

Qamishlo went on by reminding that "the changes that Kurdish women carried out in the society and their becoming army have encouraged all the women of the world. With this struggle, it has been proven that women can change the society, fight with arms, tighten the ranks of the women's struggle and pulled women towards the revolution. Of course, women have fought in many countries before the Kurdish women. However, Kurdish women created great advances in the sense of will, awareness and organization again with the dimension of women's freedom ideology and accelerated women's struggle. Kurdish women spend every moment of their lives with the philosophy of women's freedom, and are aware that they can build society by changing and transforming themselves."

As to the legacy and role of YJA Star, Qamishlo said: "As YJA Star forces, we are in the quest and struggle to fulfill our duty. We have a great history of resistance. Our struggle is growing every day. The war performance, commanding dimension, creativity in the war environment and the insistence in the fight caused by the YJA STAR forces are actually the name of the answer, the quest. The struggle for freedom that we are carrying out under difficult conditions and sacrificing ourselves without blinking is the biggest proof of how much we are struggling for women's freedom and how much determined we are. We, as women fighting for freedom, are aware of the fact that we can strengthen ourselves in every respect and that our struggle can be successful and we are working for this endlessly."

Stating that they represent the struggle of women from all over the world on 8 March, Commander Sarya Qamishlo ended her speech with the following remarks: "Women have reached today's level with their struggle. What is needed from now on is to be more conscious, more organized. Women should be united regardless the boundaries, wherever they are. Indeed, the struggle of women should not be considered sufficient. We need to constantly step up the struggle and the gains achieved. The beauties and right life created by women should be constantly improved. For this, a stronger struggle and participation is required.

All women in the world find themselves in times of great resistance. Leader Apo previously said that the 21st century will be the century of women's freedom.

Today, we see that women have come one step closer to this reality with their struggle. As fighting women, we want to state that we have received a great morale from the struggle of women. From the mountains of Kurdistan we salute Leader Apo and we celebrate the day of working women of 8 March. We will be liberated with our struggle."