RIHA – Stating that they fought against attacks on both women and their lands on the basis of self-defense, YPJ Spokesperson Ruksen Mihemed said: “The women's revolution was won not only with weapons but also with an intellectual infrastructure. We will not step back."

 

Defense, which the patriarchal system generally associates with men, went beyond the stereotype with the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) established under the leadership of Kurdish women in Northern and Eastern Syria. Women, who ceased to be "objects" that men should protect during conflicts and wars, turned the masculine system upside down with the change they created and declared their belief in freedom to women all over the world, saying "A new world is possible." 

These women, who have been fighting against the state and systems for decades and are known to the whole world with the Kobanê resistance, have become the fiercest enemies of ISIS, which wants to imprison the Middle East in darkness, and have also destroyed the masculine "warrior" concept. Resisting women are on the front lines, fighting against anti-social oppressive groups and states. While doing it, it also focuses on gender equality and real freedom for women. 

 

The Kurds organized and resisted during the civil war that broke out in Syria in 2011, founded the People's Protection Units (YPG) in 2012, later formed the Women's Protection Units (Yekîneyên Parastina Jin-YPJ) as a unique structure on April 4, 2013. Women organized beyond physical defense. Women are organized in the social and political structure, fighting against the masculine military structures of ISIS and NATO, as well as the patriarchy within themselves (child marriages, forced marriages, murders committed in the name of 'honour', domestic violence and rape culture). Today, there are thousands of Kurd, Arab, Assyrian and Armenian women from different parts of the region in the YPJ, which is their internal security unit.

 

YPJ Spokesperson Ruksen Mihemed spoke to Mezopotamya Agency (MA) on the occasion of March 8, International Women's Day.

 

THE LEGACY FREEDOM STRUGGLE

 

Mihemed started her evaluation by stating that YPJ is the legacy of women who fought for freedom throughout history and said: "We are trying to cultivate this legacy in Rojava Kurdistan."

Drawing attention to the attacks on both the land they lived in and themselves during the "Rojava Revolution", Mihemed said: "As women, we saw that our existence was being destroyed and our truth was being tried to be lost. Our identity was not recognized, our case was not heard. During this process, small women's groups were formed in the defense force established under the name Yekitiya Xwe Parastina Gel (YXG), but then the need to form the YPJ was seen."

 

'IF WOMEN BELIEVES, THEY CAN WIN'

 

Stating that YPJ is guided by the principle of democratic society, Mihemed said: “In the society we live in, the policy of massacre, decimation, deculturalization, demoralization and disidentification has been constantly carried out. As women, we aimed to destroy this mentality and idea and to defeat all these policies with women's hands. For this reason, YPJ has aimed to create a mentality revolution since the day it was founded. Even in the midst of war and conflict, women's struggle was taken as a basis. Women tried to grow themselves during the war. Women defended both their people and themselves. In the Kobanê war that broke out, women's pioneering identity, will and courage were revealed. With YPJ, women realized this; ‘If women fight to protect both themselves and their people with the belief in a free life, they can win.’"

 

PHILOSOPHY OF 'JIN, JIYAN, AZADÎ'

 

Underlining that the victory was a hope for all women, Mihemed stated that education is provided in the academies opened to reinforce the women's struggle and revolution. Mihemed said that in these academies, it is essential for women to recognize their identity and history and said: “These academies have existed since the first establishment. This shows us that the women's revolution was won consciously, not only with weapons but also with an intellectual infrastructure. YPJ and women fighters have progressed in the military field and deepened in the ideological field. They showed awareness by being at the forefront of the position.”

 

Stating that women's struggle is reduced to physicality by the world's media and radicalism is ignored, Mihemed said: “Capitalist modernity is trying to empty the truth by taking warrior women formally. The world press is trying to do the same things for us. They consider women warriors with their clothes and shape. Thus, they are trying to make the truth behind us invisible. However, YPJ is an army that has accepted the identity of free women. It represents the idea of 'Jin, Jîyan, Azadî', which it has acquired philosophy from the beginning. YPJ even redefined the definition of 'warrior', to put it crudely. We showed everyone that the philosophy of 'Jin, Jîyan, Azadî' is not just a slogan. In the midst of attack and war, answers were sought to the questions of the woman-life relationship and who the woman is in search of freedom, the answer is YPJ women."

 

'MALE MENTALITY HAS BEEN CONDEMNED'

 

Saying that the male mentality tried to imprison women at home after the revolution, Mihemed said: "YPJ members were not just women fighting in military uniforms, they shaped society and showed everyone that women who were tried to be imprisoned at home are not slaves."

 

NO STEP BACK

 

Stating that they have been targeted with special war policies in recent years, Mihemed continued as follows: “YPJ women have proven that they can guide both themselves, their people and everyone who is in search of freedom. It has been shown once again that there is a gender struggle against the colonialists and the patriarchal system. A policy of decimation is carried out by killing women. Because, as I said at the beginning, women are the cornerstone and executors of the system provided here. They are trying to destroy the revolution in the person of women. They want women to submit through violence and torture. But it must be known that; No matter how numerous and diverse the attacks are, we also have preparations. Of course, I'm not saying this is enough. We are always renewing ourselves. We both continue our ideological training in a regular and systematic manner and continue to equip ourselves in the military field. We will continue this war together with our people, both in the military and social fields. The biggest inspiration of this resistance is the resistance given by People's Leader Mr. Abdullah Ocalan in Imralı. We aim to break the isolation system with our war. We will show them once again that we, as women, will not step back."

 

MARCH 8 MESSAGE

 

Mihemed concluded her March 8 message by saying: “Happy March 8th to People's Leader Mr. Abdullah Ocalan, who paved the way for free life and taught us struggle. Congratulations to all the women of the world who struggle for freedom and the women of YJA-Star who prove the will of women to the whole world. I congratulate all women on March 8."

 

MA / Ceylan Sahinli