The General Command of Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) released a statement on the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Day, calling it “the day of women’s uprising, the day of resistance and struggle for all the women of the world.” On this occasion, YPJ also paid tribute to all the martyrs of the Women’s Freedom Revolution, and renewed their pledge to enhance the struggle for freedom.

“As the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we continue our march for freedom today, and we are inspired by the honorable legacy of resistant women in the world. We received the flag of resistance and liberation from Rosa Luxemburg, Clara Zetkin, Leyla Qasim, Leyla Khaled, Sakne Cansiz and Gulnaz Karatas, and through the heroines of the resistance in Rojava such as Arin Mirkan, Revan Kobane, Zilan Hasakah, Tolheldan Raman, Rojda Manbij and Sorxwin Rojhalat, we are moving towards the women’s revolution. As comrades on the path of these heroines, we live with pride in their heroism, and with rage we escalate our struggle against all policies of genocide, occupation and isolation,” said the YPJ statement, which further included the following:

“We salute the spirit of resistant women in the world, from New York to Afghanistan, and from Shengal to Iran, that spirit that shook the throne of male domination and brought it to the brink of collapse. Hence, from the country of revolution in which the darkness of the century was defeated, and in which the banner of women’s resistance was raised, we send our greetings to all struggling women in the world.”

Today, women are rising up in all parts of the world and struggling against the authoritarian male mentality, which has imposed itself through war, plunder, assault and extermination, and which is leading the world towards World War III. The Free Women’s Units/YJA-STAR are waging a holy war against the chemical bombing on the mountains of Kurdistan. In Iran, women are fighting against all forms of attacks, executions and violence. Under the slogan “Women, Life, Freedom” and in the spirit of Jîna Emînî, Persian and Kurdish women demand a free and honourable life.

In Afghanistan, Afghan women challenge the brutality of the Taliban and demand their freedom with great determination. Here in Rojava and northern and eastern Syria as well, women struggled against ISIS, which is considered a worldwide terrorist organization, and they also repelled various forms of Turkish occupation attacks. Under the banner of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), Kurdish, Arab, Armenian, Assyrian and Syriac women joined the ranks of the revolution, and in one spirit they set out to work and struggle in all areas of life. This influential energy of women enabled their struggle to flow in one stream. Through their struggle, women became a source of freedom for the whole of society; this in itself strengthens our enthusiasm and drive for the struggle.

Without a doubt, we have reached this level thanks to the ideas of Leader APO, who presented to us the ideology of women’s liberation on a holy day like today, March 8th, as a source of strength for all women. That is why the Rojava Revolution was called the Women’s Revolution; here we are today, returning to our roots and writing our history of freedom at high prices, with great resistance and heroic epics.

As the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we will bring the good news of freedom that is renewed with the spring, to all women and peoples of the region. All areas of life will become meaningful with the women’s spirit and identity. For this reason, all women must organize themselves and fight against the male mentality, which is achieved with difficulty and becomes possible with protection. In this way, we will be able to continue the women’s revolution so that the results are guaranteed. On this basis, we direct our call to every woman to organize herself and became active in the self-defence, so that we can, with the free will of women, defeat all policies of genocide, occupation and isolation, and to guide a free and stable future for all women and humanity.”