News Center- The international unit of the Women’s Defense Units (YPJ) has released a written statement to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. “We greet you from the heart of the women's revolution, from the liberated areas of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava. We, as international women, came here to take the dreams and seeds of the revolution in Rojava to our countries and plant them there,” the statement said.

Emphasizing that they went to Rojava over the call of an organization aiming to rebuild a free life, the statement said, “This is the place where the most brutal attacks of ISIS were defeated, where thousands of women such as Martyr Hêlîn from England, Martyr Ivana from Germany, Martyr Lêgerîn from Argentina, Ceren from Turkey, Martyr Avesta from Kurdistan fought against the atrocity of ISIS. Despite the ongoing attacks of the Turkish state aiming to kill and displace people, the number of the resisting women increases every day. Because this violence is seen as normal everywhere, but not for us. That’s why we came here.

‘Women write their history’

“We decided to fight by standing with the women of Rojava. The people of Rojava fight to have a life with dignity and fight the lethal mentality that exists all over the world. The women of Rojava decided to take up arms and found their own defense units. In Rojava, women decided to defend themselves by takşng part in military and politics. In Rojava, women lead the revolution and write their history, the history of women.”

Call on all women

In the statement, the YPJ International also called on all women to unite against gender-based violence. “The women’s voice for freedom in Rojava echoes all over the world. And we follow this voice. We no longer accept to be killed, oppressed, raped, sold, tortured and arrested. We organize and defend ourselves. We fight and struggle. We follow in the footsteps of all the women who resist, unite and struggle against the oppressive and patriarchal mindset. We call on all women to unite against gender-based violence and femicide. We change the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ slogan against all forms of violence and occupation.”