EMÎRA ZOZAN

Shengal (Sinjar)- Yazidi women, who were subjected to genocidal attacks of ISIS in Shengal on August 3, 2014, have strengthened their struggle against male-state violence by forming their defense system in all spheres of life. Organizing women have also strengthened themselves in culture and art.

The Stiya Nexşan Culture and Art Center is established in Shengal to carry out cultural and artistic activities for women. Nîdal Hemo, one of the employees of the center, spoke to NuJINHA about their activities to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. “Yazidi women will take to the streets on November 25 against all forms of violence by chanting the slogan ‘Jin, jiyan, azadî’” she told us.

Speaking about how was the situation of Yazidi women before they formed their own self-defense system and the Yazidi Women’s Freedom Movement, Nîdal Hemo said, “The rate of violence against women was very high in our society. Our society suffered from child marriage and polygamy. Girls were forced into marriage at a very young age and they became mothers while they were still children. Most of such marriages ended in divorce and mothers were left alone with their children. The rate of child marriage was very high before the genocide committed against Yazidi people in 2014. Although this rate has decreased, our society still suffers from child marriage and polygamy. Before, women did not have the right to comment on something; there were no women artists due to the pressure of male system on women.”

“We will take to the streets”

Emphasizing that they have been waging a struggle for freedom,  Nîdal Hemo said, “We, as Yazidi women, understood how the patriarchal mentality affects our society after getting to know the ideology of leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan). This mentality sees women as objects that must be used only physically, ignoring their feelings and thoughts. We will take to the streets against this mentality and call on all women to take to the streets to protect their culture and nature against this mentality and to make the struggle for freedom permanent.”