Stating that the Diplomacy Committee of the Yazidi Free Women's Movement (TAJÊ) had many diplomatic meetings in 2021, Suham Şengali said that they will expand their works to make the women’s resistance heard all around the world.

EVÎN ZENDA

Shengal- One of the most important activities of the Yazidi Free Women's Movement (TAJÊ) is diplomacy. Suham Şengali, member of the Diplomacy Committee of the TAJÊ, spoke to NuJINHA about their diplomatic works in 2021. “We try to prevent plans and attacks against our society,” she said.

Their aim is to tell the resistance to the world

Speaking about the activities of the committee in 2021, Suham Şengali said, “Our diplomatic works in 2021 were very important for us. We held meetings in Iraq, the Middle East, and all around the world. In 2021, there were many attacks on Shengal. We can say that there was great resistance against these attacks. The aim of our diplomatic meetings was to make the Yazidi women's struggle in Shengal heard all around the world and to provide great support.”

Recalling the agreement signed by the Iraqi government and the Kurdish Regional Government on October 9, Suham Şengali drew attention to the threats and operations against the Yazidi community.

“At the beginning of the year, the October 9 agreement was signed. Women exhibited a strong stance against this agreement. Yazidi women resisted against it. Women were active in both diplomacy and holding awareness-raising actions. Women didn’t allow the agreement, which was intended to be put into effect against the Yazidi community, to be successful.”

Diplomatic meetings

Speaking about their meetings with the Iraqi government and the Kurdish Regional Government, Suham Şengali said:

“We held diplomatic meetings in Iraq and Sulaymaniyah regarding the attacks and plans on Shengal. We, as TAJÊ, held many diplomatic meetings in 2021. We had meetings with the officials of the Iraqi government, Iraqi Prime Minister, intellectuals, and politicians. The subject of the meetings was the attacks on Shengal. We told them the demands of the Yazidi community. We know that there are women taking part in political parties in Sulaymaniyah. For this reason, we wanted to come together with the women taking part in political parties in Southern Kurdistan to tell them the resistance of women in Shengal. We want all women to unite against all attacks. We held meeting with the YKN (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan), Gorran Party, intellectual women, and politicians in Sulaymaniyah. We wanted to bring the resistance of Yazidi women in Shengal to the agenda of Iraq, the Middle East, and the world.”

Speaking about their international activities, Suham Şengali said, “In 2021, we developed many international relationships and dialogues. A MENA conference was held in 2021 with the participation of hundreds of women. At the conference, women discussed social issues and they showed the resistance of women in Shengal and Rojava as role models for women. The participants discussed how they can defend themselves and their leading role all around the world. We, as TAJÊ, participated in this conference. We told them the developments of Yazidi women after the genocide and how the women of Shengal will be a role model for the women of the Middle East and the world. 

Elections in Shengal

Suham Şengali also talked about the 2021 general elections held in Iraq, “Women’s participation in the snap elections was very high. This shows that women no longer believe in a male-dominant society. Therefore, women were more successful. A conference was held in Kirkuk. Many Yazidi women across Iraq attended this conference. At the conference, we expressed the problems faced by women in Iraq.”

Stating that they held many online meetings with women from four parts of Kurdistan during the Covid-19 pandemic, Suham Şengali said that they discussed how they could prevent violence against women. Stating that an Italian delegation consisting of teachers, journalists, doctors, and members of NGOs visited Shengal in 2021, Suham Şengali said that Shengal entered the agenda of Italy after the visit of the delegation.

“In 2022, everyone in Iraq, the Middle East, and all around the world should raise their voices to support the resistance in Shengal. We will expand our works for women and the Yazidi community in 2022.”