JINA AMINI
The face of Iran's protests. Her life, her dreams and her death.
In memory of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini, the cornerstone of the 'Zan. Zendegi. Azadi revolution.
16 February 2023 | By Gino d'Artali
And also
Read all about the assasination of the 22 year young Jina Mahsa Amini (Kurdistan-Iran) and the start of the Zan, Zendegi, Azadi (Women, life, freedom) revolution in Iran  2022
and the latest news about the 'Women Live Freedom' Revolution per month in
 2025: March wk1P4 --  March wk1P3 -- March wk1P2 --  March wk1 -- Feb wk4p2 --  Feb wk4 -- Feb wk3P2 -- Feb wk3 -- Feb wk2P2 -- Feb wk2 -- Feb wk1P2 -- feb wk1 -- Jan wk5P2 -- Jan wk5 -- Jan wk4P2 -- Jan wk4 -- Jan wk3P2 -- Jan wk3  -- Jan wk2P2 -- Jan wk2 -- Jan wk1
2024: Dec wk5 -- Dec WK4P2 -- Dec WK4  -- and 2023: Dec wk 5 part 2 -- Dec wk 5 -- Dec week 4-3 -- Dec wk3 -- Dec 17 - 10 -- Dec week 2 and 1   November - Januari 2023
 --overview per month

Editorial by G. d'A.: Dear reader, as a webmaster also I constantly have to guard the read-ability of the 'Cryfreedom'-outlet and sometimes decisions need to be made to have it be for your convenience and moreso in total support of the women-led revolt in Iran which inevitably will be a grand Victory. Still, choices must be made always and so I've decided to, for now, embed all the actual news about the 'NO-hijab; 'Biological terror attscks against schoolgirls'; 'Iranian journalists under siege'; 'Blinding as a weapon' and 'The hanging spree' as part of the 'Actual news' updates of the Iran 'Woman, Life, Freedom' section. But, if need be and urgent attention and action is needed concerning the above mentioned topics it will get an extra emphasized place as part of the actual news page-layout. Thank you for being a reader and for your support of the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' revolution.
Click here for the previously tabled topics

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You are now at the International Womens Day Middle East 2025 section Part 2
Part 1

International Womens Day Middle East 2025
March 5 - February 28, 2025
Announcing celebrations and
more growing of resistance
against any form of oppression
and more ways to Freedom


Women as architects of the future
March 11 - 8, 2025
International Womens day
are not just words
but pavestones
on the way to
justice and freedom
for all women
and people.
Read more and walk with all


Narges Mohammadi, Varisa Moradi, Sharifeh Mohammadi and Pakhshan Azizi
Medyanews - March 10, 2025
<<Women prisoners in Iran send International Women’s Day messages to world’s women
Women political prisoners in Iran, Narges Mohammadi and Warisheh Moradi, have sent messages to the world's women on the occasion of International Women's Day on 8 March, highlighting the ongoing resistance of women against the oppressive policies of the Iranian regime and calling on all women to protest against the death sentences handed out to women prisoners in the country. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and Kurdish political prisoner Warisheh Moradi have issued messages for women on 8 March, International Women’s Day. They highlighted the defining role women play in social struggles in Iran and called for protests against the death sentences handed out to women prisoners in Iran. Kurdish political prisoner Warisheh Moradi, who has been sentenced to death by the Iranian regime and is being held in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison, released a letter on the occasion of International Women’s Day, 8 March. Moradi sends her greetings “from behind the iron bars of the dungeon” to “all struggling and pioneering women, wherever they are in the world”. She celebrates 8 March and stresses the importance of this year’s International Women’s Day, saying, “Everywhere I look, I smell the fragrance of women’s victories and I am happy to see that the chain of women’s struggle is growing stronger every day in the 21st century. It has been said many times: the 21st century is the century of women’s freedom. And when women are liberated, society will be liberated. In her letter, Moradi outlines how wars and crises have deepened around the world, especially in the Middle East, which she describes as part of the “Third World War”, saying, “While states were fuelling the fires of war, society was fighting for peace and democracy.” She links this popular resistance to the war to her own situation, saying that the death sentences handed down to her and other female prisoners such as Pakhshan Azizi and Sharifeh Mohammadi are indicative of how the Iranian regime is targeting women.
She highlights the resistance that she and her fellow prisoners are waging against imprisonment and death sentences, saying that the women have “turned the prisons into schools of thought and ideas, fortresses of resistance and struggle”. She goes on to reaffirm their resistance and the reasons for their continued struggle, saying:
How could we not defend ourselves in the face of attacks? How could we remain silent against oppression and injustice? Is it possible to see the pain in the eyes of children, women, youth and other oppressed groups and give up the struggle? Of course not! History has taught us that those who struggle recognise no difficulty. The doors of struggle are always open for anyone who believes in freedom and is willing to fly. We are the children of a history full of resistance and struggle. Our eyes look far away even in the darkest places and I believe that our horizon is still bright.
Moradi stresses the need for all women to continue their struggle for freedom. “Struggle is not limited to time and space. We must never stop until we achieve freedom and celebrate this day in a free time and place, to keep alive the memory of all lovers of freedom from past to present.” She concludes, “Long live 8 March! Long live the women’s resistance! Jin, Jiyan, Azadî! (Woman, Life, Freedom)”.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, currently on temporary release for medical reasons, shared a video message on social media, congratulating all the women in the world for 8 March and remembering the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi uprisings, which erupted in Iran in 2022 after the young Kurdish woman Jina (Mahsa) Amini was killed by Iranian morality police. Mohammadi highlights the dimensions of the Iranian regime’s oppressive policies against women, saying that women in Iran are “subjected to gender apartheid in all senses” and that the Iranian regime has “used every tool at its disposal to dominate women”. Against this oppression, women in Iran are “not merely resisting, but standing at the frontlines of resistance” and are “leading the struggle against the Islamic Republic”, according to Mohammadi. “We are seeking democracy. We are seeking freedom and equality,” she says, going on to stress that she believes that true democracy cannot be achieved without women’s rights.
She also sends her greetings to all women prisoners resisting in Iran’s prisons, and recalls the death sentences handed out to women “in revenge for the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi movement.” In her speech, she honours Warisheh Moradi, Pakhshan Azizi and Sharifeh Mohammadi, saying,”Every woman has a responsibility towards these women,” and needs to protest against the death sentences handed out to them.>>
Source: https://medyanews.net/women-prisoners-in-iran-send-international-womens-day-messages-to-worlds-women/

Jinha - Womens News Agency - March 11, 2025 - by NUCAN ARAS
<<Soma Mohammadrezaei arrested in Sanandaj
Soma Mohammadrezaei, a Kurdish women's rights activist, was arrested and transferred to an unknown location by agents of the IRGC’s intelligence in Sanandaj on Monday.
News Center- Iran’s crackdown on women participating in activities and events held in Eastern Kurdistan (Iranian Kurdistan) to International Women’s Day, March 8, continues. Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) raided the workplace of Soma Mohammadrezaei, a 38-year-old Kurdish women's rights activist, in Sanandaj on Monday and arrested her. According to local sources, no one knows where she is held and she was arrested for her activism and participating in an event held in Sanandaj on International Women’s Day, March 8. For a week, dozens of Kurdish women activists have been arrested in different cities of Eastern Kurdistan and transferred to the central detention centers in the cities of Kermashan, Saneh, and Urmia for participating in activities and events held on International Women’s Day.>>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/soma-mohammadrezaei-arrested-in-sanandaj-36706?page=1


Soheila Motaei
Jinha - Womens News Agency - March 11, 2025 - by NUCAN ARAS
<<Kurdish activist Soheila Motaei arrested in Dehgolan
Sohaila Motaei, a Kurdish women’s rights activist, was arrested on Monday and taken to an unknown location by the security forces in Dehgolan, a city in Eastern Kurdistan.
News Center- Sohaila Motaei, a Kurdish women’s rights activist and former political prisoner, was arrested on Monday and taken to an unknown location by the security forces in Dehgolan, a city in Eastern Kurdistan (Iranian Kurdistan). According to the local sources, Sohaila Motaei was arrested for her activities and participating in an event held in Sanandaj on International Women’s Day, March 8. Sohaila Motaei has been arrested several times for her activism. On January 22, 2025, she was arrested in Dehgolan and then released on bail after hours of interrogation. She was arrested twice during the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” uprising and sentenced to 60 months in prison by the Revolutionary Court of Dehgolan. After serving several months, she was released under an amnesty.>>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/kurdish-activist-soheila-motaei-arrested-in-dehgolan-36705?page=1


Xalîde Botî
Jinha - Womens News Agency - March 11, 2025 - by NUCAN ARAS
<<Xalîde Botî of Kongra Star: Women have broken taboos with the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ philosophy
“Women have broken taboos with the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ philosophy,” said Xalîde Botî, spokesperson of Kongra Star in Hasakah, calling on all women to strengthen their struggle for freedom.
Hasakah (Hesekê)- On March 8, International Women’s Day, women all over the world took to the streets to voice their demands. This year, March 8 had a historic meaning for Kurdish and Middle Eastern women in particular. They flocked to the streets on March 8 with the enthusiasm of the “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan on February 27, 2025, the architect of the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ philosophy, which has become a slogan for women’s struggle for freedom and inspired women all around the world. North and East Syria, where the women's revolution took place, was one of the places where women flocked to the streets to voice their demands. Women from different ethnic and religious identities such as Arab, Kurdish, Armenian and Syriac women flocked to the streets in the region on March 8 by wearing their traditional clothes and chanting slogans such as “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (English: Women, Life, Freedom)”.
‘Women get stronger by overcoming obstacles’
“Women’s struggle for freedom, justice, equality and rights continues all around the world,” said Xalîde Botî, spokesperson of Kongra Star in Hasakah. “March 8 has a symbolic and historic meaning for the women's struggle. With a common spirit and solidarity awareness, women have resisted and struggled against the mindset that aims to enslave women by targeting them, leaving them without an identity and ignoring them. Despite everything, women get stronger by overcoming obstacles.”
‘Women should activate their self-defense mechanisms’
Women and children are targeted by wars waged in the world and the Middle East, Xalîde Botî underlined. “The language used by governments first targets women, leading to poverty, displacement, massacres and exploitation. Women should unite, be in solidarity with each other and activate their self-defense mechanisms under all circumstances.”
‘Women make life meaningful’
The Rojava Revolution that took place in North and East Syria has inspired women all around the world, Xalîde Botî, stressed, adding: “This revolution is a new light of hope for women. Thanks to Abdullah Öcalan’s paradigm based on women’s freedom, ecology and ethics, women have achieved many gains in North and East Syria. The Rojava Revolution has provided significant effort and experience in ensuring social stability. Since the system and model in North and East Syria are new in the world, many people are interested in this system and model. Women of North and East Syria have broken taboos with the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ philosophy and built their own perspectives against the system that ignores and overshadows women. Women make life meaningful by playing a leading role in society.” Xalîde Botî concluded her speech by calling on all women to strengthen their struggle for freedom, democracy, equality and justice.>>
Video: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/xalide-boti-of-kongra-star-women-have-broken-taboos-with-the-jin-jiyan-azadi-philosophy-36701


IWD Women of NE Syria
Jinha - Womens News Agency - March 10, 2025 - by HESNA MUHEMED
<<Women of NE Syria celebrate IWD
Women of North and East Syria celebrated International Women’s Day, March 8, welcoming the historical call by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and demanding his physical freedom.
Hasakah- Women of North and East Syria celebrated International Women’s Day, March 8, with the enthusiasm of the “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” made by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan on February 27, 2025. On March 8, Arab, Syriac, Circassian, Armenian and Kurdish women flocked to the streets of Hasakah and celebrated their day. Despite the rain, women wore their traditional clothes, celebrated International Women’s Day with enthusiasm and chanted the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” slogan. At the celebration, women listened carefully to the message sent by Abdullah Öcalan from the prison island of Imrali on the occasion of IWD. While walking around, I saw how women felt and tried to document their morale and enthusiasm by taking their photographs of women. I saw a mother making a victory sign under the rain. I understood that she is a displaced woman of Afrin from her traditional dress.
‘Neither displacement nor attacks have weakened our will and resistance’
I asked the mother named Reşîda Muhemed how she welcomed IWD while being displaced twice. “We are Kurds, we celebrate our holidays and days wherever we are,” she responded. “We had resisted in Shahba for seven years. Then, we were displaced from there. Neither displacement nor attacks have weakened our will and resistance. Despite the displacement, we will maintain our struggle. Yes, we have been displaced twice but this does not mean that we surrender to occupation policies. The enemy is afraid of free and literate women struggling for their identity.”
‘We will see each other in free Afrin’
The words of the mother made me feel strong. As a young woman of Afrin, I kept taking photographs. The mother told me that we would see each other in free Afrin and I would take her photographs again. The women of North and East Syria led the July 19th Revolution and they still play their leading role. This year, they celebrated International Women’s Day with great enthusiasm, giving a historic response to the historic call.>>
Video: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/women-of-ne-syria-celebrate-iwd-36696?page=1


FEMEN stages high-profile anti-fascist protest
Medyanews - March 10, 2025
<<FEMEN stages high-profile anti-fascist protest at Paris Women’s Day demonstration
Around 100 women activists from the international women's rights movement FEMEN staged a protest against the rise of fascism at this year's International Women's Day demonstration in Paris, France, painting US, European or Russian flags on their bare chests, along with a swastika and the words "fascist epidemic". The international women’s rights movement FEMEN staged a high-profile protest at this year’s International Women’s Day march in the French capital, Paris on 8 March. An estimated 250,000 people took to the streets across France, with 120,000 people in Paris alone, according to the feminist organisation Grève féministe (Feminist Strike). Around 100 activists marched topless in Paris with US, European or Russian flags painted on their chests, along with a swastika and the words “fascist epidemic” drawing attention to the increasing right-wing shift in many countries. The activists carried black smoke torches, and many painted their right arms red and drew Hitler moustaches on their faces. They chanted slogans such as “Fascist epidemic, feminist response” and “For a feminist Europe, not a fascist one”. They also staged a performance targeting prominent figures, with one activist shouting out “Heil Donald Trump, Heil Vladimir Putin, Heil Elon Musk”, with the others repeating the slogan and raising their right arms in the Nazi salute. FEMEN is a feminist activist group founded in Ukraine in 2008 by Anna Hutsol, Oksana Shachko and Alexandra Shevchenko. The organisation moved its headquarters to Paris in 2013 after facing harassment and legal pressures in Ukraine. They are known for their provocative topless protests aimed at challenging patriarchy, gender inequality and various forms of oppression, including from religious institutions, political corruption and sex trafficking. Their slogan, “I came, I stripped, I won,” reflects their bold and confrontational approach. In November, FEMEN staged a protest outside the Louvre in Paris on 24 November, painting the slogan ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ on their chests in French, Kurdish and English, to demand an end to the violence against women ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November.>>
Video: https://medyanews.net/femen-stages-high-profile-anti-fascist-protest-at-paris-womens-day-demonstration/


KJK on IWD
Jinha - Womens News Agency - March 10, 2025 - by NUCAN ARAS
<<KJK calls on all women to turn Newroz into a festival of struggle
“On March 8, women demonstrated their determination to lead the ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ process,” the Kurdistan Women's Communities (KJK) said in a statement, calling on all women to turn Newroz into a festival of struggle.
News Center- The Kurdistan Women’s Communities (Kurdish: Komalên Jinên Kurdistanê,KJK) has released a written statement, greeting all women, who took to the streets on International Women’s Day and held activities and events from mid-February to March 8. “This year, we welcomed March 8 with the message of leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan), a message like a manifesto for women’s freedom in the 21st century,” said the statement. “We salute leader Apo and his manifesto, turning this century into the Women's Renaissance.”
The statement continues as follows:
“Women, who heard this manifesto, took to the streets in Bakur, Türkiye, North and East Syria, Rojava, Shengal, Makhmour, Rojhelat, Bashur and European countries on March 8 and demonstrated their determination to lead the ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ process. Women from different colors, languages ​​and cultures came together in Türkiye, Syria and many European countries, and held a magnificent celebration of democracy. Almost everywhere in the world, women raised their voices against the attacks of the patriarchal mindset on women and children. As KJK, we greet all women, who took to the streets on International Women’s Day and held activities and events from mid-February to March 8. The women’s struggle has the power to shake our daily lives, our century, and the world. On March 8, we saw how the unity of women is strong by crossing all borders. Today, women rise up against the patriarchal mindset, organize themselves and raise their voices saying what kind of life they want.
Living every day as March 8
As women, we must struggle and live every day as it is March 8. We also must discuss the Manifesto for Women’s Freedom by leader Apo, who gives breath and strength to women despite the isolation imposed on him in Imrali. We have a responsibility to discuss, try to understand, and derive tasks for new struggles and organizations from this perspective by holding various events, training, meetings and workshops.
‘We raise our hopes for the future’
Women, who value their lives, their freedom, themselves and others, will save, liberate, enlighten and beautify the world. The four-layered Women's Liberation Ideology and four daffodil branches that reached us from leader Apo in İmralı were a very precious and beautiful gift. We can turn our lives and women, children, young girls into daffodils, springs, and gardens. We call on all women to turn Newroz into a festival of struggle and people by building a bridge between March 8 and March 21.”>>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/kjk-calls-on-all-women-to-turn-newroz-into-a-festival-of-struggle-36694?page=1


‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ protests spread across Turkey
Medyanews - March 10, 2025
<<‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ protests spread across Turkey on 8 March as women defy repression
Despite police repression and arrests, thousands of women in Turkey took to the streets on 8 March, chanting Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) in defiance of state crackdowns. The Feminist Night March, a decades-long tradition, continues to be a powerful act of resistance against rising authoritarianism and attacks on women's rights. Despite arrests, state restrictions and a heavy police presence, women in Turkey once again took to the streets on 8 March, making their voices heard in Istanbul, Diyarbakır (Amed), Izmir, Ankara and beyond. Police barricades also obstructed the Feminist Night March, a tradition for over two decades in Istanbul’s Taksim, but the women refused to be silenced. The slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ (Woman, Life, Freedom) resonated across the country, underlining the intersection between feminist and Kurdish struggles. International Women’s Day celebrations in Turkey have long served as a show of strength by feminist movements against systematic state repression. This year was no different. Thousands gathered for the 23rd Feminist Night March, where the police barricades blocked access to Istiklal Avenue. Women chanted, ‘We are not silent, we are not afraid, we do not obey!’ and refused to back down. Meanwhile, security forces arrested dozens of protesters and forcibly dispersed others. Similar demonstrations took place in Izmir, Ankara and other cities, with feminist groups calling for an end to violence against women and government policies that undermine gender equality. These marches have continued for years despite the state’s efforts to suppress them, demonstrating that feminist resistance in Turkey remains strong. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has clamped down on women’s rights, from withdrawing Turkey from the Istanbul Convention to pushing through conservative family policies that restrict women’s freedoms. Over the past year, femicides have continued at an alarming rate and state institutions have been accused of failing to protect women from violence. At the Feminist Night March, protesters bore banners condemning the government’s policies, with the messages, ‘We will not give up on the Istanbul Convention’ and ‘The state is complicit in femicides’. These slogans reflect the ongoing struggle against patriarchal state violence, a struggle that has only intensified in response to the government crackdown. A striking aspect of this year’s 8 March protests was the widespread use of the slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’. The slogan, originally rooted in the Kurdish women’s movement, has gained global resonance in recent years, particularly after the uprisings in Iran following the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in 2022. Women chanted the slogan in Diyarbakır and other Kurdish-majority cities, reinforcing its role as a unifying call for freedom. In Diyarbakır, thousands filled İstasyon Square, dancing in colourful traditional dress and bearing feminist and Kurdish language banners. This year’s Women’s Day protests only go to reaffirm that the government’s attempts to suppress feminist movements in Turkey have failed, as women continue to occupy public spaces, demand their rights and resist growing authoritarianism. The widespread chanting of the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadi’ slogan, the mass participation despite police repression and the clear defiance of the AKP’s anti-women policies all point to one thing: women in Turkey are not backing down.>>
Video: https://medyanews.net/jin-jiyan-azadi-protests-spread-across-turkey-on-8-march-as-women-defy-repression/


Turkish gov’t blocks education
Medyanews - March 10, 2025
<<Turkish gov’t blocks education union’s gender equality lesson
The Turkish Ministry of Education (MEB) has blocked Eğitim-Sen's planned gender equality lesson, saying that only approved subjects can be taught. The lesson, scheduled for 10 March, aimed to raise awareness of gender discrimination, but the ministry warned that unauthorised activities could result in legal action. Istanbul Governor Davut Gül backed the decision, stressing that teachers must follow the official curriculum. Turkey’s Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim-Sen) planned to introduce a gender equality lesson in schools on 10 March to raise awareness on gender discrimination and promote equality. As part of the initiative, teachers were encouraged to paint blackboards purple to symbolise the fight against gender inequality. However, the Turkish Ministry of Education (MEB) has strongly opposed the move, stating that such lessons cannot be taught outside the official curriculum. The ministry issued a statement claiming that the lesson was unauthorised and did not comply with legal and constitutional regulations. It warned that no subject can be included in lessons without the approval of the Education and Discipline Board. The statement also stressed that any activity outside the curriculum would be subject to judicial and administrative measures. The ministry further justified its position by stating: “The family is the foundation of Turkish society and education policy must reflect national and moral values. No unofficial programme will be allowed in schools.” Istanbul Governor Davut Gül also backed the decision, saying: “Teachers must follow the curriculum. Teaching must be carried out in accordance with the official regulations, and any unauthorised subject is not allowed in classrooms.” Eğitim-Sen has not yet announced any further action following the ministry’s warning. The decision has highlighted debates over academic freedom and gender equality in education, a long-running controversy in Turkey, where the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been accused of reinforcing conservative policies in schools and restricting discussion of gender issues.>>
Source: https://medyanews.net/turkish-govt-blocks-education-unions-gender-equality-lesson/


North and East Syria holds spirited celebrations
Medyanews - March 9, 2025
<<North and East Syria holds spirited celebrations for International Women’s Day
Thousands of women in North and East Syria gathered in cities such as Kobani (Kobanê), Aleppo (Helep), Qamishli (Qamişlo), Hasakah (Hesekê) and Raqqa (Reqa) on 8 March, to celebrate International Women’s Day. Marked as an official holiday in the region since 2022, the day was commemorated with large-scale events, highlighting women’s pivotal role in resistance, equality and the struggle for a democratic society.
Women across North and East Syria (Rojava) celebrated International Women’s Day with mass gatherings in major cities, reaffirming their role in shaping the future of the region. Since 2022, 8 March has been an official public holiday in Rojava, with all institutions and departments closed for the occasion. Thousands of women gathered in Kobani (Kobanê), a city that has become a symbol of resistance and victory against ISIS as well as a focal point of Turkey’s aggression, to celebrate International Women’s Day. The event, held at Martyr Egîd Square, came just a month after the 10th anniversary of Kobani’s liberation, marking a decade since the city’s historic defence against ISIS. The celebration highlighted the resilience of women in the region under the slogan “Towards a democratic Syria with the philosophy of ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’”. Addressing the crowd, Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) Foreign Relations Department Co-Chair Ilham Ahmed drew attention to the shared struggle and fate of all women. “The voices rising from this square today are the voices of all Syrian women. The women resisting on the frontlines are fighting for all of us,” she said, underlining the historical significance of the current moment in shaping the region’s future. She paid tribute to those who had lost their lives in the struggle: “If we are gathered here today, celebrating 8 March, we owe it to those who gave their lives for this cause and to the women still resisting on the battlefronts.” Ahmed also acknowledged the wider context of suffering in Syria, adding: “We are celebrating here, but in other parts of Syria, massacres are taking place. When women are killed in Latakia and other cities, it feels as though we ourselves are being killed.”
She reaffirmed that women’s struggles and destinies are interconnected, and stressed that the prospective new democratic Syria would only be built up with the struggle of all women: “Wherever they are, women’s fate is one and the same. The voices rising here are the voices of all Syrian women. Those resisting on the frontlines are fighting for every woman in Syria. A Syria where children and society are free, where women and men are equal, is only possible through the struggle of free women.” In Aleppo (Helep), women saluted the resistance on the frontlines of Tishreen (Tişrîn) Dam and Qara Quzak (Qere Qozaq) Bridge, which has been ongoing since 12 December against the aggression of Turkey and its proxies. Members of the Kongra Star women’s movement, the largest umbrella organisation in the autonomous region of North and East Syria, noted the importance of the ideas of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in shaping women’s resistance, and said that the Kurdish struggle had rewritten the history of women’s liberation. In Hasakah (Hesekê), thousands of Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian and Armenian women gathered from across the region, including participants from refugee camps. A speaker from the Democratic Union Party (PYD) described Öcalan’s prison as “a space of life, peace and equality,” and called for greater unity among women to build a free Syria. The Qamishli (Qamişlo) event saw women from several towns gathering in the city’s Newroz Square. A leading member of Kongra Star linked the celebrations to Öcalan’s recent peace message, and said that this year’s 8 March marked a renewed commitment to resistance. Another speech condemned the recent massacres of Alevi communities in Syrian coastal regions, linking them to broader patterns of oppression. In Raqqa (Reqa), women gathered in the city’s municipal stadium, where speakers honoured fallen women fighters and highlighted the importance of defending the gains of the women’s revolution. The event featured music, dance and messages of solidarity with women struggling worldwide. Meanwhile, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) marked the day with a military ceremony attended by women’s defence forces from across the region, including Armenian, Yazidi and Syriac women’s units. The ceremony honoured past and present women fighters, reaffirming their commitment to resisting occupation and oppression. Across all regions, the message was clear: The women’s struggle in North and East Syria is not just about equality, but about shaping the future of the region itself. The day’s celebrations served as a testament to their resilience, their vision for a democratic society and their continued defiance of forces seeking to erase their gains.>>
Video: https://medyanews.net/north-and-east-syria-holds-spirited-celebrations-for-international-womens-day/


Fadwa Abdullah
Jinha - Womens News Agency - March 8, 2025 - by RAFIF ESLEEM
<<Women of Gaza to tell their stories on IWD
The women of Gaza, who welcome International Women’s Day amid destruction, will tell their stories by participating in virtual seminars.
Gaza-Israel’s attacks that started on October 7,2023 and ended on January 19 after a ceasefire agreement, destroyed 90% of Gaza homes. Following the ceasefire, the displaced Palestinians returned to their destroyed homes. This year, the women of Gaza welcome International Women’s Day amid destruction while women’s organizations keep providing psychological support and humanitarian aid to them. Since Palestinian women live on the streets, without homes, various activities and events will be held in Gaza to mark International Women’s Day. The women of Gaza witnessed a genocide, causing them to suffer from displacement, economic and social challenges, said Fadwa Abdullah, the coordinator of the project “Women’s Voice” launched by the Community Media Center (CMC). “International Women’s Day is a day making women visible and strengthening women’s role in society,” Fadwa Abdullah told NuJINHA. “The Community Media Center will hold virtual seminars and Palestinian women will tell their stories, rights violations faced by them by participating in these seminars.”
‘The war caused many political, economic and social changes’
The war has overshadowed the challenges faced by women and gender-based violence in the Gaza Strip, Fadwa Abdullah indicated. “Due to the war, Palestinian women cannot report violence against them because there is no authority they can trust. Many young women have lost their family members. The war caused many political, economic and social changes in Gaza and these changes have affected the status of women in society.”
‘Women’s solidarity is essential’
Fadwa Abdullah underlined that the war on Gaza caused many women to lose their source of income. “As women’s organizations, we must make efforts together to support Palestinian women so that they will be able to overcome the tragedy faced by them. Women’s solidarity with Palestinian women is essential now.”>>
Video: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/women-of-gaza-to-tell-their-stories-on-iwd-36687


AWCSWO
Jinha - Womens News Agency - March 8, 2025
<<AWCSWO: Do not leave Afghan women alone on International Women’s Day
In a statement, Afghanistan Women and Children Strengthen Welfare Organization (AWCSWO) called on the UN and international community not to “leave Afghan women alone on International Women’s Day.”
News Center- The Afghanistan Women and Children Strengthen Welfare Organization (AWCSWO) has issued a written statement to mark International Women’s Day. In the statement, the organization pointed to violence faced by Afghan women and girls and said, “Do not leave Afghan women alone on International Women’s Day. The situation is critical. The Taliban’s gender apartheid has erased women from public life, denying them education, employment, freedom of movement, and even access to basic healthcare. Afghanistan has become the most dangerous country in the world for women.” Reminding the four-year Taliban rule in Afghanistan, the statement said, “Afghan women have endured unimaginable suffering and systematic oppression. They have been subjected to imprisonment for seeking their basic rights, sexual violence and rape at the hands of Taliban members, mental and physical torture, including brutal public punishments, stoning and flogging for so-called ‘moral crimes’, forced marriages to Taliban fighters, often against their will and kidnapping of girls under and over the age of 18 by Taliban members, robbing them of their futures.”
In the statement, the AWCSWO urged world leaders to act “now before more lives are lost” and called on the United Nations, international community and human rights organizations to:
* Hold the Taliban accountable for crimes against women under international law.
* Implement targeted sanctions against Taliban leaders responsible for human rights violations.
* Ensure safe asylum pathways for women and girls at risk.
* Support underground education and resistance networks to empower Afghan women.
* Amplify the voices of Afghan women activists who continue to fight for their rights.>>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/awcswo-do-not-leave-afghan-women-alone-on-international-women-s-day-36691?page=1


IWD Women of Amed
Jinha - Womens News Agency - March 8, 2025
<<Women of Amed celebrate International Women’s Day
In Amed, women celebrated International Women’s Day at the Istasyon Square on Saturday. “Mr. Öcalan will lead us to the future as the architect of peace under free conditions,” said Kurdish politician Gültan Kışanak.
Amed (Diyarbakır)- The Free Women’s Movement (Kurdish: Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) held a rally at Istasyon Square of Amed on Saturday with the motto, “We Rise against Femicide, We March towards Freedom”. Women of Amed gathered at the square, chanting, “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (English: Women, Life, Freedom)” slogan. Women wearing their Kurdish traditional dresses danced halay, ululated and often chanted slogans such as “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî”, “Bê Serok Jiyan nabe (English: No life without the leader)” and “Biji Serok Apo (English: Long Live Leader Apo)” while celebrating their day at the square.
‘We will defend an honorable peace’
Serra Bucak, Co-mayor of the Amed Metropolitan Municipality, made a speech at the rally, recalling the call of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan on February 27. “It was a call saying that we are very close to peace. We are here in Amed, in Batman and Mardin to turn this call into peace. We will chant this call for peace all together. We will never give up on our lives and our rights. We will defend an honorable peace.”
‘Are you ready to build a bridge of peace?’
Kurdish politician Gültan Kışanak also made a speech at the celebration. She drew attention to the call for peace by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and said, “In Imrali, Mr. Öcalan made a call against the imposed war. Are you ready to build a bridge of peace from here to Imrali and Ankara? This call is a call to all of us, to the state, to the government, to democratic politics, to society, to the Kurds, to the Turks and to the people of the Middle East. It is a call to us, women. We all must do our part for peace. We call on Ankara to lift the isolation imposed in Imrali. Mr. Öcalan will lead us to the future as the architect of peace under free conditions. We must struggle to win together, to lift the Imrali isolation system and to open the door of peace for the Middle East.”
After her speech, Gültan Kışanak read the message sent by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan from the prison island of Imrali.>>
Source: https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/women-of-amed-celebrate-international-women-s-day-36692?page=1


International Women’s Day Ceremony
Hengaw Organisation for Human Right - March 8, 2025
Sanandaj: International Women’s Day Ceremony Held Despite Security Threats, Joint Statement Declaimed
A special ceremony marking International Women’s Day was held in the city of Sanandaj with the collaboration of several organizations active in women's rights. This event took place despite threats and pressure from security institutions on civil activists. During the gathering, an official statement was read on behalf of three organizations in defense of women's rights. According to a report received by Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, on Friday, March 7, 2025, the special International Women’s Day event was held in Sanandaj with the participation of the Kurdistan Women’s Union, Sanandaj Women Civil Activists, Sanandaj Women’s Rights Activists, and several other groups and organizations. Women activists took part in the event by holding placards with messages such as “Honors to March 8,” “A Woman is No One’s Property,” and “Long Live International Women’s Day.” They also raised images of three female political prisoners sentenced to death: Pakhshan Azizi, Verisheh Moradi, and Sharifeh Mohammadi.
This ceremony was held despite the fact that the previous day, the Sanandaj Intelligence Office had summoned several women’s rights activists and warned them against participating in the March 8 event. Additionally, during the event, a statement was read on behalf of the Kurdistan Women’s Union (Yekîtiya Jinên Kurdistan), Sanandaj Civil Women Activists, and Sanandaj Women’s Rights Activists.
The text of the statement is as follows:
March 8 is a reminder of the historical struggles of women against oppression, inequality, and exploitation. This day, rooted in the protests of female workers in the 19th century, marked the beginning of widespread movements that led to significant achievements in political, social, and economic rights. From the fight for the right to vote to resistance against patriarchal systems and structural violence, women have persistently stood their ground on the path to freedom and equality and have never abandoned their ideals despite all obstacles. However, in Iran, the ruling establishment has continuously sought to deprive women of their fundamental rights through misogynistic policies. Repressive laws such as compulsory hijab, child marriage, suppression of individual freedoms, and violations of reproductive rights serve as tools to control women and legitimize patriarchal dominance. These policies have not only restricted women's freedom and autonomy but have also institutionalized and legitimized violence against them on a large scale. The increasing rates of femicide, sexual violence, child abuse, and severe punishments against women highlight their dire situation in Iran. Moreover, discrimination in resource allocation within an unequal neoliberal system and economic crises have placed the greatest burden on the most vulnerable sectors of society, particularly marginalized women such as Baluch, Kurdish, and migrant women, as well as a significant portion of women in informal employment. In this context, women, alongside the women's movement, have actively participated in other protest movements, including those of workers, retirees, teachers, and students, amplifying their collective voices against systemic oppression.
Iranian women are held captive by a government that deeply fears women's existence. This fear, exacerbated by the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Women, Life, Freedom) uprising and its progressive slogan, has driven the regime to issue death sentences and imprisonment for female activists. Women such as Pakhshan Azizi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, and Verisheh Moradi, whose voices the government sought to silence, have become symbols of resistance against oppressive policies. These voices have not been silenced; rather, they have transformed into a global outcry against tyranny. In this regard, the struggles of women in Kurdistan stand out as one of the most prominent examples of pioneering women's liberation movements, serving as a symbol of the maturity and evolution of these movements in the Middle East. Kurdish women have not only fought against the intersecting oppressions of gender, nationality, and class but have also established independent and organized structures, offering a new model of resistance, self-organization, and freedom-seeking struggle. Whether in the frontlines of battle or in social and intellectual arenas, their unwavering determination and sacrifices have played an unparalleled role in advancing the ideals of equality and freedom. The organization and participation of women in all political and social dimensions affirm the truth that women's liberation is the foundation of society's overall freedom. The women's movement has traversed an irreversible path. The awareness, organization, and historical experience of these struggles have made a return to an era of inequality and oppression impossible. Women across the world, particularly in the Middle East, will never revert to a past where their voices were silenced. This movement signifies not only a transformation for women but also a fundamental and irreversible change for entire societies. Victory in this journey is not a mere possibility but an inevitable necessity for achieving justice and freedom. We declare that March 8, International Women's Day, is a reminder of a widespread political and social movement in which Iranian women, particularly in Kurdistan, persist in their struggle for their ideals with greater resolve than ever before. Women and men stand together against all forms of inequality, fighting to build a free, equal, and just world. Therefore, this year, on International Women's Day, the central slogans of our struggle must be: No to executions, no to honor-killings, and united resistance against inflation and inequality.
Source: https://hengaw.net/en/news/2025/03/article-27


Rojda Dendara
Medyanews - March 8, 2025
<<Brazilian artist Rojda Dendara: ‘We are fighting for us, for women and for the world!’
Brazilian dancer and theatre performer Rojda Dendara talks about the importance of 8 March, International Women's Day, and the importance of cultural and artistic works to connect with people and organise a common struggle in an exclusive interview with Medya News.
Medya News spoke to Rojda Dendara, a Brazilian dancer and theatre performer, at the Peoples’ Platform Europe, which took place in Vienna, Austria, from 14-16 February, and shared key findings from the conference, which brought together over 800 delegates representing 160 organisations from more than 30 European countries. Rojda Dendara has been involved in cultural and artistic work in northern and eastern Syria, also known as Rojava, and is known for creating the dance choreography for music videos such as “Li Herî Jorê” (On the Top) and “Destana PKK” (The Epos of the PKK), a musical epic depicting the history of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). She talks about the importance of 8 March, International Women’s Day, and the need for women to develop a militant struggle and unity to unite their forces in the struggle against capitalism and patriarchy, and the importance of cultural and artistic works to connect with people and organise a common struggle.
Read the full interview, slightly edited for clarity, here:
Why and for who do you take to the streets on 8 March?
This is a very important question, because we need to go. We need to go outside, we need to fight. And I think when we go to the streets, all the women together, it’s very important not just to be together, but to understand how we can fight together. Because we are fighting for us, for women and for the world. And now the whole world is going through a big crisis. There’s many wars, there’s a huge crisis upon us. How can women play their role in finding a solution against this crisis? I think we cannot stop. We have to continue to always think and fight, because we are fighting against the system. And to be able to fight against the system, we have to always look for and find solutions, different solutions. And for this, it’s like we cannot stop to think and practise. Because it’s like we stand up every day, and sometimes it’s difficult to start the day, but when we start the day, we have to start fighting, we have to change the patriarchal mentality. And for this, it’s very important to be strong. And not just find solution here [in the mind], but find solution here with emotions and create. It’s very interesting. We have to create ideas and take action. We need to act. And you already talked a bit about the problem that is just here and not here.
What do you think has to be changed so all the women in the world can unite? And why is 8 March important for this?
I work with culture, with art, and I’m always trying to put this inside the militant structure, militant political groups, because it’s like we have to connect our hearts with our minds, the emotion and mind, because we need to connect with people. We really have to connect with people. We are fighting, but we have to connect with people who are not fighting. And for this, the culture work, for example, is very, very important, because it’s a communication with all the women in the world.
You also did art works in Kurdistan and especially in Rojava [North and East Syria] and with the Kurdish women’s movement. How did the Kurdish women’s movement inspire you and did it change some of your views?
I would love to speak in Portuguese about this so I could speak better, because it’s connected with my emotions. When I arrived in Rojava, I understood better about culture and about arts because before, I had a liberal ideology, and after I understood that first I had to change my ideology and be stronger, be a revolutionary woman, to bring the real culture to the people, a culture that is connected to the land. And who gave me this was the movement from Kurdistan, and I met so many people, Kurdish women and international friends, who opened my eyes and my mind and my heart, and it changed my life and changed my work.
What gives you hope?
When we are together, all the women and men friends, fighting for a new world, for a real democracy, and we give the hand, and we see how important our struggle is, and we think of all the friends who fall martyr, and this gives me hope to continue, because we cannot stop, we have to continue, how I said before, every day we need to continue, every day we need to find solutions, every day you need to be together, it’s not about individualism, it’s about being together without borders. The problem now in the world, we have a lot of borders, and this is a big problem, but when I’m here with friends I love a lot, I see how important our struggle is. We need more people with us, more people, everyone needs to open, not just the mind, but your heart, and come and listen, listen what people who are fighting are saying, and try to understand, because if we don’t change the world, I don’t know what will happen. It’s something very, very sad and we are fighting for life.>>
Video: https://medyanews.net/brazilian-artist-rojda-dendara-we-are-fighting-for-us-for-women-and-for-the-world/

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