Guerrillas of the Free Women's Troops (YJA-Star) in Kirkuk held an event to mark March 8 International Working Women's Day.

Speaking at the military ceremony during the event, Makhmur-Kirkuk YJA-Star Commander Raperin Gabar celebrated March 8 for all women and humanity in the person of the women giving a freedom struggle and sacrificing their lives for this cause.

Gabar stated that: “Historically, the 5-thousand-year old male-dominant mentality ignores the labour of women and subjects them to pressure. In the person of Mother Goddess, we as oppressed women are fighting today for a moral and political society with the philosophy of Leader Apo, and we will continue to fight for this cause. We will follow in the footsteps of all our comrades that sacrificed their lives in this struggle. Today, the Kurdish women are leading the struggle for all women and all humanity. This struggle emerges in the person of Sara (Sakine Cansız) and the women following her are enhancing the struggle in their emplacements.”

Gabar pointed out that this struggle began in the person of Rosa Luxemburg and Clara Zetkin, and is growing more and more in the person of Sara in Kurdistan today, adding; "Most recently, we have seen that the resistance is growing further in the person of Berivan in Shengal where this struggle will lead to liberation soon. Obstruction of the attack on Shengal has proved, once again, that the resistance of women triumphs over the 5-thousand-year old male-dominant mentality. We promise that we will not allow anyone to trample on the labour of women again. We will continue to lead the freedom struggle with the philosophy of Leader Apo.”

The event continued with folklore and music performances of women guerrillas and concerts by artists from Bashurê (Southern) Kurdistan.