Nagam Jajan

Qamishlo -The Free Women’s Media Union (YRJ) in North and East Syria is preparing to hold its fourth conference on November 8, aiming to strengthen women’s role in media and advance a democratic discourse.

Through its fourth conference, the YRJ seeks to establish an effective organizational framework that highlights the importance of the current phase, in which women face growing media challenges in the region. Preparations include organizing discussion sessions to assess the state of media from a feminist perspective and welcoming participating journalists and activists from across North and East Syria, reflecting the diversity of experiences and enriching dialogue on developing feminist media discourse.

The Free Women’s Media Union: A Journey of Struggle and Foundation

The spokesperson for the Free Women’s Media Union (YRJ), Aren Swed, emphasized the importance of this step in strengthening women’s presence in the media landscape and developing a democratic discourse from a feminist perspective.

She pointed out that during the rule of the former Syrian regime, there was no organizational framework uniting women journalists, explaining that the outbreak of the Syrian crisis marked a turning point, as female journalists found themselves at the heart of events, directly facing challenges and immense pressures.

Swed added that women journalists at that time encountered significant difficulties in practicing journalism due to the lack of support and structure that would ensure their continuity and active participation. She explained that studying journalism during that period was limited to those affiliated with or supportive of the former Syrian regime, as others were not allowed to enroll in the Faculty of Media or pursue education in this field.

She stressed that the political and social environment back then severely restricted women and prevented them from achieving their ambitions of becoming independent journalists, noting that the number of those who chose to study journalism during that time was extremely small due to these constraints and systematic discrimination.

Swed highlighted that women journalists in North and East Syria have made great efforts to establish feminist media that reflects women’s realities and aspirations. “The July 19 Revolution in these regions provided a strong media foundation rooted in a long legacy of struggle,” she said, “as female journalists drew inspiration from pioneers such as Garabetli Arsu and Nujiyan Arhan, as well as from today’s comrades who continue the path of resistance.”

She added that these experiences motivated women journalists to build an organizational structure that protects women’s rights, transforms media language, and produces media policies that represent women’s issues from a perspective of liberation.

Pioneering Women’s Experiences Inspire Journalists in North and East Syria

During the third conference of the Free Women’s Media Union (YRJ) held in 2020, the official establishment of the union under its current name was announced, according to Aren Swed. She added that the organizational structure for women journalists had existed before that, but the conference marked a significant turning point in the union’s journey.

Swed emphasized that preparations for the fourth conference are built upon this legacy of struggle, noting that the upcoming event represents a pivotal milestone in the development of feminist media work. It is the result of great efforts and the paths of resistance taken by many women journalists to reach the level the union has achieved today.

She explained that the YRJ conference saw the formation of organizational committees and that the number of women journalists in North and East Syria has exceeded 500. “This broad presence gives us tremendous moral strength and renews our pledge to our martyred comrades to continue the path,” she said, adding that “during the conference, three preparatory committees were formed to organize the event and work on developing the union’s internal regulations to meet our aspirations and strengthen women’s role in media.

Feminist Media Transformations

Aren Swed pointed out the need to amend the internal regulations of the Free Women’s Media Union (YRJ), explaining that the developments witnessed in the Syrian arena since 2020 require a review and reassessment of several articles.

She added that the main goal of the conference is to review the Union’s publications over the past years and evaluate the performance of its leadership bodies — such as the Administrative Board, the Union Council, and the representatives — in terms of their work, the extent to which previous goals have been achieved, and what remains unfinished, in order to develop work mechanisms and strengthen women’s role in media more effectively.

Aren Swed noted that the fourth YRJ conference will be held on November 8 in the city of Qamishlo, describing it as a key milestone for achieving the Union’s long-term objectives. She added that the Union aims to organize a regular conference every two years; however, the circumstances and challenges facing the regions of North and East Syria have caused delays. Swed also mentioned that 170 delegates will participate in the upcoming conference, reflecting the expansion of the feminist media movement and giving strong momentum to the continuation of struggle and progress.

It is worth noting that the Free Women’s Media Union held its first conference in 2013, followed by the second in 2016, and the third in 2020