ELVİN MOHAMED

Kobanê- All forms of violence have been used against women and their will due to the 5,000-year of male-state or patriarchal mindset, causing violence against women to spread to all facets of life while women keep fighting against all forms of violence and the male-state mindset.

 The ongoing struggle and resistance of women in all facets of life have changed the perspective of society and men towards women. The revolution in Rojava, also known as women’s revolution, plays an important role in changing the perspective of society and men towards women. Women played a leading role in the revolution and have been playing a leading role rebuilding life in North and East Syria. Since the revolution, they all have waged a struggle against the patriarchal mindset. Women have been changing, changing men and their society.  

NuJINHA spoke to men in Kobanê, the strongholds of resistance, about the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the change brought by the women’s revolution.

‘Women played a leading role in every stage of the revolution’

“Women played a leading role in every stage of the revolution, changing and transforming the 5,000-year perspective of men,” said Mihemed Mustafa, a journalist in Kobanê. “Since the July 19 Revolution, the mind of men has changed. We grew up in a religious and sexist society and we were taught that women could not go out alone and had to cover their head.”

‘The women’s revolution has become the hope of all oppressed people’

Speaking about what changed in society after the women’s revolution in North and East Syria, he said:

“During the revolution, women and men fought together. Women changed the perspective of society and men towards them. I feel very lucky to have witnessed this revolution, the women's revolution. Today, women play a leading role in all facets of life. The 19th July Revolution is a women’s revolution that has become the hope of all oppressed people.”

‘Women are subjected to both psychological and physical violence’

Arif Balî, Co-chair of the Euphrates Canton Council in the local government, reminded the important role played by women in the revolution. “Since the 19th July Revolution, all people have worked together to rebuild a life. What is important is that women and men work together. The co- presidential system allows women and men to work together. No country has such a system.”

 ‘A free society is possible with free women’

Speaking about the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Arif Balî said, “November 25 was designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women; however, nothing has been done for women's freedom. Unfortunately, women are still subjected to both psychological and physical violence. As leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) says, a society cannot be free unless the women are free. A free society is possible with free women.”