SUHAM AKMAN

News Center- The Kurdish women in the diaspora will hold the 16th Zîlan Women’s Festival on June 18, 2022.

We spoke to the preparation committee of the festival.

“To create a space for the freedom of women”

The 16th Zîlan Women's Festival will be held this year. Could you give information about the festival?

The first festival was held on June 18, 2004. The aim of the festival is to make women’s power and organization visible and to create a space for women.

Could you tell us the meaning and importance of this festival for you?

This festival plays an important role in women’s activities. It is important because it is organized by women for women. It is also important for women to see their own organization within the system and to see women participation in the social, political, cultural, educational and artistic fields to realize their own strength.

“Zilan symbolizes the will of women”

What does the name “Zilan” mean for Kurdish women in the diaspora?

Zilan’s struggle and action are a measure of patriotism for women and they mean the breaking of stereotypes imposed on women by society and system. In this sense, Zilan symbolizes the will of women. She symbolizes the freedom of women revealing that women have a say in social change and transformation.

“We should resist together”

Could you give information about the program of the 16th Zîlan Women's Festival?

As known, we couldn’t hold the festival for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For this reason, this year is important for us. We have been making preparations for the festival. The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed that women have no freedom in legal and social areas although this system claims that it has created freedom for women in the legal and social areas. In the last two years, hundreds of women were killed and more were subjected to violence. The pandemic uncovers the system's approach to women and makes the invisible chains of slavery of women visible.

In addition, a dirty war has been waged in Kurdistan under the shadow of war in Ukraine. The aim of this war is to commit genocide against the Kurdish people, particularly women. This festival will be a response to this war. At the festival, we will declare that we will never accept this war and that we will respond to it by strengthening our struggle. We invite all women and our friends to participate in the festival.

At the festival, many singers will take to the stage and many women’s organizations will set up tents to give information about their activities. Women writers will also participate in the festival to promote their books. Different women’s musical groups will also take to the stage. The motto of this year’s festival is “Resist, Organize, Live Free". We should resist, develop our organization and create free spaces together.

Kurdish women will come together in Frankfurt and Paris on June 18

The 16th Zîlan Women's Festival will be held in Frankfurt on June 18. The French Kurdish Women's Movement (TJK-F) will hold the 5th Fidan Doğan (Rojbîn) Women’s Festival in Paris on June 18. At the weekend, women in the Paris Val de Marne region will come together at Parc Inderdepartemental. The Zilan Women's Festival, which is traditionally held every year by the Jiyan Women's Council, is being organized for the 17th time this year. The festival will be held in London on June 26. The 9th Sakine Cansız Women’s Festival will be held in Switzerland on June 26 by YJK-Switzerland in cooperation with many organizations such as Women Defend Rojava, Frauen Lesben Kasama, FEDA and BASTA.