SİTÎ ROZ

Shengal- Yazidi women have faced dozens of edicts until now. While they were still suffering from the traumas of the edicts, they faced another edict, the genocide committed against them. The aim of the 74^th edict (genocide) was to annihilate Yazidi women. But ISIS barbarism couldn’t achieve its aim. After the genocide, Yazidi women learned how to resist and struggle.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we spoke to Riham Hesen, Co-chair of the Shengal Democratic Autonomous Administration, about the resistance of Yazidi women and their participation in the democratic autonomous system.

“Our anger turned into a struggle”

“I wish a happy Women’s Day to all women fighters and all women fighting against the misogynist mentality. I would like to say that we stand by the struggle of thousands of Yazidi women who are still resisting in the hands of ISIS,” Riham Hesen said, “ISIS tried to annihilate a community by attacking women.  Sexism, which fell like a shadow on the community, left women defenseless. Slavery was imposed on women in the Yazidi community. The women didn’t have any rights. They had to remain silent, bow to men, and they were marginalized in the community. While Yazidi women were facing oppression which left them defenseless, they faced genocide. They were left defenseless against the genocide. We felt the pain and anger of each Yazidi woman abducted by ISIS. But our anger turned into a struggle. Our pain deepened and when we felt alone, we met the philosophy of Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan). His philosophy helped us to turn our anger into a struggle. The philosophy of Apo gave courage and strength to us, to Yazidi women. And we began to organize ourselves,” Riham Hesen told us.

“Women in Shengal see their existence in the Autonomous System”

“Today, Yazidi women take part in the democratic autonomous system in Shengal,” Riham Hesen said that women fight alongside men to defend Shengal.

“We fought to liberate Shengal and we took the revenge of thousands of Yazidi women who were abducted by ISIS. Now, women take part in the revolution as co-chairs of the people's assemblies and of all institutions affiliated with the autonomous system. Women consider themselves responsible for solving every problem in society. In the Democratic Autonomous System in Shengal, Yazidi women work to rebuild life and defend themselves and their society. They struggle against the patriarchal mindset. In Shengal, women see their freedom and their future in the autonomous system.”

Speaking about the challenges faced by Yazidi women in Shengal and across Iraq, Riham Hesen said:

“Struggling for our existence wasn’t easy. Our wounds are still bleeding so we cannot say we overcome all challenges but we, as Yazidi women, have learned to fight. As Yazidi women, we have resisted against the enemy, the roles imposed on us by our society, our family, and all men.”

“Yazidi women and Arab women become comrades”

Emphasizing the importance of the common struggle of Yazidi women and Arab women, Riham Hesen said, “Not only Yazidi women are organizing themselves but also Arab women are organizing themselves under the umbrella of the Shengal Democratic Autonomous Administration. Arab women also struggle shoulder to shoulder with Yazidi women against patriarchal mindset and occupation. Yazidi women and Arab women become comrades.”

Call on women all around the world

Before ending her speech, Riham Hesen called on women all around the world. “As women, we have a common enemy. The names of states and despots may change, but their mentality is the same. The male-state mentality is the enemy of us, all women in the world. We, as Yazidi women, believe that the common struggle of women in the world will change everything and call on all women to unite. I wish a happy Women’s Day to all women.”