YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) guerrillas Delîla and Sorxwîn Kobanê spoke to ANF on the occasion of March 8, International Women’s Day. The guerrillas stated that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan presented a path for women and that women are struggling within this framework: “All women of the world should turn to the mountains of freedom to overthrow the system with a dominant mentality.”
Delîla: “Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) is the pioneer and creator of building a women’s army and raising the spirituality of women. Fighting, struggling and waging this struggle in these mountains gives us great strength and morale. This strength and morale are instrumental in pioneering steps for women in society. Because on the streets, in the cities and all over the world, women have stood up and are marching with the slogan “Jin Jiyan Azadî” (Woman, Life, Freedom). This puts fear in the heart of the enemy. That is why they attack women. But Leader Apo has presented us a way to stand and walk. We take part in this movement and struggle. We deepen ourselves in the ideology and philosophy of the leader and try to increase our struggle so that we can take bigger steps. Once again, we celebrate March 8 for all women who fight all hegemonic and sovereign powers, and we say ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’.”
Sorxwîn Kobanê: “It started as a women’s struggle with the labor and ideas of Leader Apo and the slogan “Jin Jiyan Azadî”. Now, as everyone can see, women all over the world are waging a struggle with this slogan. With this slogan, women from all over the world have risen up and are waging a struggle against the dominant mentality, against the slaver mentality. All this is based on the labor, efforts and ideas of Leader Apo. And this struggle is still going on. Everyone can see that today there are attacks against the mountains of freedom, and we will continue this struggle with the spirit of Erdal, Rojhat, Rûken and Sara and their likes. Just like our companion Azê, in the tunnels of war, with a will like Azê’s and a style of struggle like Azê’s, we will further increase our struggle against the attacks directed against us, and we will frustrate these attacks. For this, we call on all women of the world to turn to the mountains of freedom in order to overthrow the system with a dominant mentality.”