Nagham Jagan

Qamishlo – Amid ongoing social and political challenges faced by women, the Women’s Council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in North and East Syria has announced the launch of the sixth phase of its campaign aimed at combating violence, promoting equality and justice, and raising awareness. The campaign will run for two months, reaffirming the belief that “a free woman is the foundation for building a democratic Syria.”

“The PYD Women’s Council is a pressing necessity”

Huriya Shamdin, head of the PYD Women’s Council, spoke about the council’s activities, explaining that “the party was founded in 2003, while the Women’s Council was established in 2018 in response to an urgent need — to strengthen the political role of women in North and East Syria.” She noted that women have since demonstrated leadership by expanding their work across various regions and cantons, extending their influence to the entire country.

She added that “the Rojava Revolution revealed the necessity for women to take the lead in the political arena, to have vision and analysis. This prompted the establishment of the Women’s Council as an organizational platform to reinforce women’s presence and participation in decision-making.”

A Comprehensive Women’s Campaign Against Violence and for Shared Leadership

Shamdin explained that the sixth phase of the campaign seeks to “enhance women’s role in society, solidify their leadership in building a democratic Syria, and promote awareness and empowerment.” The council, she said, includes women from diverse social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds who actively contribute to building a cohesive and just society.

She stressed that the campaign aims to support women from all backgrounds, particularly in light of the difficult conditions in Syria. “The council’s diversity reflects the spirit of pluralism and strengthens women’s ability to play leadership roles in various fields,” she said.

According to Shamdin, the campaign’s plan is broad and inclusive. It comes at a time of escalating violence against women and what she described as a “special war” waged against them within Syrian society. The campaign includes large-scale meetings to address key issues such as empowering women to confront these psychological and social wars, tackling the rise in online harassment and cyberattacks, and confronting the growing phenomenon of femicide.

She added that “the campaign also includes awareness programs and mental training to strengthen women’s self-awareness, develop their organizational capacities, and highlight the achievements they have made throughout the revolution, along with efforts to protect these gains.”

Promoting Shared Leadership and Confronting Patriarchal Mindsets

Shamdin noted that the campaign is supported by the coordination committees of women’s councils within the Autonomous Administration institutions. “Its activities include seminars to reinforce the co-leadership system within institutions, highlight the challenges facing women, and shed light on their ongoing struggle against patriarchal mindsets,” she explained.

“The campaign also aims to propose practical solutions to promote women’s freedom by discussing methods of empowerment within society and providing strategic visions to overcome obstacles, ensuring fair and active participation in all aspects of political and social life,” she added.

“The Philosophy of Liberation and Justice Against Patriarchy”

According to Shamdin, the Women’s Council’s work goes beyond campaigns: “This campaign, which began after the party’s tenth congress, is still ongoing and is implemented based on women’s needs in each region.”

She emphasized that “women are the first victims of attacks and violations by the jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who control the so-called Syrian Interim Government. This makes it essential to empower women and strengthen their capacities to face these challenges.” She further pointed out that “the new Syrian constitution fails to grant women a clear position, and the laws that are supposed to protect their rights are not effectively enforced — making the ongoing struggle for women’s rights and fair representation a vital demand for Syria’s future.”

She concluded by affirming that “women’s freedom is the foundation of a free society. For thousands of years, women in the Middle East have been deprived of their rights and subjected to various forms of violence and discrimination. The philosophy of leader Abdullah Öcalan provided groundbreaking ideas for women’s liberation, emphasizing that a free society cannot exist without free women, and justice cannot be achieved without their active participation.”

“Women,” she concluded, “are the leaders of the march toward justice in all fields. Freedom lies at the heart of their struggle — the absence of women’s freedom means the absence of society’s freedom, and true peace cannot be achieved while marginalization and oppression persist.