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<div style="display: block;" id="reader-header" class="header"> <b><small><small><small><small><a
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/These-Kurdish-Women-Have-a-Message-on-International-Womens-Day-20160308-0008.html"
id="reader-domain" class="domain"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/These-Kurdish-Women-Have-a-Message-on-International-Womens-Day-20160308-0008.html">http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/These-Kurdish-Women-Have-a-Message-on-International-Womens-Day-20160308-0008.html</a></a></small></small></small></small></b>
<h1 id="reader-title">These Kurdish Women Have a Message on
International Women's Day</h1>
<p>March 8, 2016<br>
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<pre style="position: absolute; left: -99999px;">Published 8 March 2016
This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address:
<a href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/These-Kurdish-Women-Have-a-Message-on-International-Womens-Day-20160308-0008.html">"http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/These-Kurdish-Women-Have-a-Message-on-International-Womens-Day-20160308-0008.html"</a>. If you intend to use it, please cite the source and provide a link to the original article. <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.teleSURtv.net/english">www.teleSURtv.net/english</a>
</pre>
<pre style="position: absolute; left: -99999px;">Published 8 March 2016
This content was originally published by teleSUR at the following address:
<a href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/These-Kurdish-Women-Have-a-Message-on-International-Womens-Day-20160308-0008.html">"http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/These-Kurdish-Women-Have-a-Message-on-International-Womens-Day-20160308-0008.html"</a>. If you intend to use it, please cite the source and provide a link to the original article. <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.teleSURtv.net/english">www.teleSURtv.net/english</a>
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<p itemprop="description alternativeHeadline"
class="subtitle">The group have been praised by Western
feminists for confronting traditional gender roles and
redefining the role women play in conflict.</p>
<div itemprop="articleBody" class="txt_newworld">
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-99468d5d-55b3-c392-3388-d284794c80f3">A
Kurdish women's defense unit, fighting against the
Islamic State group </span><span>in Iraqi Kurdistan,
issued a message March 8 for International Women's
Day, saluting the Kurdish People's Protection Units,
known as the YPG.</span> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“We are resisting against members of
(the Islamic State group), and we will continue to
resist until the end. We call on all women to increase
(their) strength and break the silence about these
massacres,” the group, </span><span
id="docs-internal-guid-99468d5d-55b3-c392-3388-d284794c80f3">YJA-STAR,</span><span>
said in a statement.</span> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Ferasin Berfin, a female combatant,
said March 8 is an important day for women. "It was
created by the resistance of all women in the world.
We must all take to the streets. As Kurdish women,
every day is March 8.”</span> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“We have become aware and fight against
the patriarchal dominant mindset with the leadership
of leader Abdullah Ocalan," she added.</span> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span><a target="_blank"
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Free-Abdullah-calan-20160214-0011.html">Abdullah
Ocalan</a> is the jailed founder of the Kurdistan
Workers' Party, or PKK, and he is thought to have
helped guide the group's demands for gender equality
and “women’s liberation.”</span> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span><strong>RELATED:</strong> </span><a
target="_blank"
href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Kurdish-Women-Turning-Kobani-into-a-Living-Hell-for-Islamic-State-20141014-0072.html">Kurdish
Women Turning Kobani into a Living 'Hell' for Islamic
State</a> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>The PKK has itself been called a
feminist movement, although the group's struggle
encompasses a wide-range of demands, including
democratic confederalism and autonomy. </span> </p>
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<figure class="image"><img moz-reader-center="true"
src="cid:part6.04030000.06010009@freedomarchives.org"
alt="" hspace="5" vspace="5">
<figcaption></figcaption>
</figure>
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<p dir="ltr"><strong>PKK fighters pose with a displaced
Yazidi woman (R) | Photo: Reuters</strong> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“Kurdish women have paid a very high
price. We must resist in all areas of life, and now we
are part of the frontline to fight members of Daesh,”
said Berfin. “We have given our word to the people, we
will continue to resist until victory."</span> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Sitrra Jiyan, who is of Armenian
origin, said that in the "annals of history, women
have been considered the goddesses of freedom and
equality, but women have fallen captive of the
mentality dominated by men.”</span> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>“Women have a strong will and energy.
We salute the resistance of the YPS-Jin (Women's
Civilian Defense Units) with the spirit of March 8.
Worker women are women who resist," she added. </span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>In 2015, Kurdish female soldiers took a
break from fighting the Islamic State group to
celebrate International Women’s Day. In the Syrian
town of Kobane, hundreds gathered to mark the day and
honor the women who died protecting the city.</span> </p>
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