ZEYNEB XILÊF

Deir ez-Zor- After the YPJ/YPG forces liberated the city of Deir ez-Zor from ISIS, the women of the city have made their existence visible in all spheres of life. In the city having fertile lands being watered by the Euphrates River, women make straw brooms to earn their living. Shama Hasan, one of the women weaving straw brooms, told us that she began to weave straw brooms after the liberation of the city.

Stating that they need special tools such as string, fabrics, machine and tapes to make straw brooms, Shama Hasan said, “As rural women, we use these brooms and we know how to make them. We make straw brooms to earn a living.”

Mona Xelef has used straw brooms for years. She thinks straw brooms are healthier than ready-made plastic brooms. “We prefer buying straw blooms made by rural women because they are long-lasting and cheap. Everyone should prefer using them.”