Shengal- The Yazidi Free Women's Movement (Kurdish: Tevgera Azadiya Jinên Êzîdî-TAJÊ) has released a written statement, announcing it will launch a social media campaign under the hashtag “#BidinDengêXweparastin (English: Be the Voice of Self-defense)” on May 22.

The social media hashtag campaign will continue until August 3, the anniversary of the genocide conducted against Yazidis by ISIS. In the statement, the TAJÊ called on all women to support the campaign.

Women are subjected to all forms of violence all around the world, the statement stressed. “ISIS conducted a genocide against the Yazidi community on August 3, 2014. They raped Yazidi women and sold them in slave markets in Mosul. Today, thousands of Yazidi women are still held captive by ISIS. However, no legal process has been started against ISIS and its partners yet. The mindset of ISIS is the patriarchal mindset that has been in power for 5,000 years. We can tear down this mindset by using our self-defense. Self-defense is a must for women to protect them against attacks and possible genocides.”

Calling on women, friends of Yazidis and all Yazidis all around the world to support their campaign, the statement said, “Our social media campaign will be launched on May 22, at 20.00 under the hashtag ‘#BidinDengêXweparastin’.”