Introduction
The Kurds are the indigenous individuals in north-eastern Syria, south-east Turkey, northern Iraq, north-west Iran as well as south-west Armenia. Following Syria’s civil war, the Kurds were interested in carving out their destiny from other people after being marginalized by the Damascus regime, the Baathist. After the Kurds repelled the government forces, they have continually made it their concern to come up with a peaceful as well as a stable societal order. The new social order is based in the north. Among the people that have been on the forefront for liberation are Kurdish women, who are particularly interested in safeguarding the liberation of women in Syrian Kurdistan. In Kurdish-controlled Syria, women are free and armed, which is an indication that women are continually being liberated.
The Advancement of Women’s Liberation in Syrian Kurdistan
A considerable number of Kurdish women are joining women-led revolutions, which is at the heart of their community. Women activists, as well as human rights defenders, are engaging with women across all social classes to raise awareness of their social rights as well as the history of the international struggle for the liberation of women. According to Knapp et al ., (2016), in the early 1980s, considering the political climate during that time, some of the women that were involved in the struggle for Kurdish women liberation were focusing their activism on the mobilization of women that were being forced to migrate. During this period, Turkish soldiers were evacuating women from different villages either through arson or forcefully. The insecurity that characterized the climate in the region influenced the women activists to fight illegally, consequently risking their lives.
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While fighting for the liberation of the women, the activists were addressing oppression on two fronts. In this case, they were not only being oppressed by individuals in their communities but the state as well. The oppression from the state was characterized by the provision that the national government denied the women their identities. On the other hand, individuals in the communities, particularly the males, were not sensitive to the rights of the women, a factor that made it difficult for the activists to ensure that they liberated women in the society. In line with the events that characterized the struggle of the Kurdish women, the activists’ objective was to try emancipating them within their movement since women in the society had been betrayed by some of their allies in a considerable number of instances (Knapp et al ., 2016). This struggle could be considered as the genesis of the liberation of the Kurdish women in Syria, among other Kurdish societies.
According to Cemgil and Hoffmann (2016), the Kurdish women were mobilized in different ways. The women were not only mobilized through organized civil societies, which is a social method of mobilization, but the women also took arms to ensure their liberation. In this case, the women were mobilized in the Armed Front through the struggle of the liberation of the Kurds, which was one of the critical ways through which they could develop models structured by military organizations. Within the liberation movement, female militants fought similarly as the men did, including taking part in the decision-making process at all levels (Knapp et al ., 2016). Even though the women could fight and make decisions equally as men, there was a struggle against patriarchy in the Kurdish community was still being experienced. This struggle was not only evident at the communal level but the political level as well.
In spite of their participation in the liberation process, some of the women were not affiliated with political matters of the different parties, including the struggle’s military wing. However, the women that were attempting to assert their independence within the community faced a myriad of challenges. The oppression is indicative of the notion that women were finding it difficult to develop an organized Kurdish movement, in spite of the idea that the number of women activists was continually increasing (Knapp et al ., 2016). The women were continuously engaging in activism amid the economic, political, as well as social situation that the women in Kurdistan were experiencing. For instance, a considerable number of women were suffering due to the political crisis that was affecting the region, which was characterized by the Syrian civil war (Knapp et al ., 2016). Additionally, the primary target of ISIL was the Christian women, most of who were being displaced from their home, thereby lacking access to equality and a good quality of life. However, the effect was not limited to the women in the Kurdish societies since the men were also being affected by the crisis.
The provision of an alternative to suitable governance
Even though the Kurdish liberation of women is experiencing different challenges, the quest to take care of the challenges has brought forth different governance models. In this light, the models have significantly assisted in advocating for democracy as well as human rights, which are at the center of policy-making decisions. According to Knapp et al . (2016), the last few years have seen the Kurdish liberation movement work towards the creation of a political model necessary for controlling the Rojava region and for ensuring the region’s self-defense. The developments have been following principles of democracy, respecting gender equality, the concept of community organization, and ensuring the respect of the diversity in individual identities. Within such a system, the women from the Rojova region are considered as individuals that hold innovative values in their society, which means that they are carriers of the new social order. For instance, the adoption of the social contract in the year 2014 was a way to proclaim Rojava’s autonomy (Knapp & Jongerden, 2016). The proclamation refers to values that are inclusive of gender equality, representation in authoritative positions, and self-governance in the Syrian Kurdistan.
One of the critical elements that the Kurdish women fighting for their liberation consider includes overcoming the challenges that they are facing. For instance, one of the serious causes of concern for the individuals that are working towards conflict resolution and advocating for peace in the Middle East was the Suruç attack (Cemgil & Hoffmann, 2016). The attack did not only intimidate the Kurdish activists, but it also led to an increase in military operations from Turkey, which was primarily targeting the armed groups in northern Syria. In this light, it is possible to indicate that the Suruç attack and the military response affected the establishment of a suitable environment that would foster human rights advocacy as well as peacebuilding in the Rojava region.
The lack of financial support could be cited as one of the elements that exacerbate the repressive circumstance that is affecting human rights activism. Since the women are faced with such limitations, which limit their ability to work towards achieving their objective, they have to emphasize on the issues as well as some of the other mistakes they might have committed to ensuring that they realize their objectives. In this light, a proposal would include working towards sourcing funds from donors for the women in Kurdistan, which should be coordinated and channeled towards the identification of domestic solutions to their liberation issues. Even though the women might come up with suitable solutions, they have to ensure that they are not only practical but sustainable as well. Since the women are raised in conservative settings, the proposed solutions should cover the context of their societies. In this case, the solutions should not be borrowed from other societies since they might escalate the problem (Cemgil & Hoffmann, 2016).
Conclusion
To conclude, it would be vital to state that the women in Syria are continually making it their concern to come up with ways to liberate themselves. Even though the women are facing a myriad of challenges, they are focused on safeguarding the liberation of women in Syrian Kurdistan. The fundamental concerns of the Kurdish women include advocating for the rights of the Kurdish women in their particular society, advocating for the implementation of free education for girls, equality, and the freedom of expression, among other provisions. In spite of the challenges they face, such as threats from violent state and non-state actors, it would be vital for the women to develop sustainable solutions that will advance their objectives. The solutions should relate to the context of their society, given the social and political considerations of the region. Developing solutions from this perspective is vital for ensuring the success of the liberation of Kurdish women.
References
Cemgil, C., & Hoffmann, C. (2016). The ‘Rojava Revolution’ in Syrian Kurdistan: A Model of Development for the Middle East? IDS Bulletin , 47(3). doi: 10.19088/1968-2016.144
Knapp, M., & Jongerden, J. (2016). Communal Democracy: The Social Contract and Confederalism in Rojava. Comparative Islamic Studies , 10(1), 87-109.
Knapp, M., Flach, A., Ayboga, E., Graeber, D., Abdullah, A., & Biehl, J. (2016). Revolution in Rojava: Democratic autonomy and women's liberation in Syrian Kurdistan . London: Pluto Press.
