Shengal - International Day of the Girl Child is an international observance day declared by the United Nations on October 11, 2012 to increase awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender. Yesterday, the International Day of the Girl Child was celebrated in the Sinun town of Shengal with the motto, “Today’s Girls are Tomorrow’s Pioneers”. Seminars and painting exhibitions were held to draw attention to the meaning and importance of the day.

During the event, a video film about the resistance of Yazidi women against oppression was screened. Then, a panel was held. At the panel, the problems faced by Yazidi women in the 2014 genocide were discussed by civil activists, teachers and painters. The panel drew attention to the strength of young Yazidi women, who take part in all spheres of life and stand against injustice, and their resistance to protect their homeland. After the speeches, the participants visited the painting exhibition, including paintings telling what kind of violence Yazidi women were subjected to and their resistance against violence.

“I painted the pain of Yazidi women”

Activist and painter İlham Keleşo told NuJINHA that she wanted to draw attention to violence faced by Yazidi women in her paintings, “I have been painting since my childhood, but not often. I chose to use the language of paintings to express my feelings. The difficulties experienced by women after the genocide committed against Yazidis encouraged me to focus more on paintings. In my paintings, I tried to describe the pain and resistance of Yazidi women.”

“Shengal is the safest place for Yazidis”

 Recalling the killing of 6-year-old Axîn (A Yazidi girl, whose dead body was found in the city of Zakho on August 11, after being missing for six days), İlham Keleşo said, “The killing of Axîn was a very serious incident. This incident did not happen in Shengal because the Yazidis living outside Shengal face such incidents. Today, Iraq suffers from an unstable situation; people are killed and sexually abused every day. Shengal is the safest place for Yazidis.”

“Women need unity”

Afiya Şengalî, member of the “Mala bi hev re jiyan”, a non-governmental organization in Shengal, spoke about the aim of the event and said, “First of all, I would like to celebrate the International Day of Girl Child. We organize this event to show young women and girls that we support them. Yazidi women should not be left helpless and alone. Do not remain silent against gender-based violence. We, as Yazidi women, need unity. Women should unite to prevent violence against them.”