26 social orgs., women's movements demand guaranty of YPJ existence

 26 civil society organizations and women's movements in Rojava, Kurdistan, and Syria sent an open letter to human rights organizations, women's rights movements, and the United Nations Security Council. These organizations and movements demanded the protection of the status of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ).

The message from the organizations and movements stated the following:

Amid the chaos that Syria is witnessing, where our future is being targeted, attempts are being made thru patriarchal and Islamic settlements to exclude women from all stages of decision-making, using various forms of pressure and coercion.

The unique experience of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ), which emerged in the historical epic of Kobani, was not merely a military act, but a cry against the patriarchal mentality that sought to return women to the markets of slavery. Women from North and East Syria broke these constraints and subjugation with great sacrifices, becoming a source of hope for the women of Syria.

And within a year, we witnessed acts of violence, kidnapping, assaults, and murders committed by radical elements within the institutions of the interim government, which confirms that the presence of the YPJ is an urgent necessity.

And we affirm that the presence of YPJ is not merely a military presence, but a national and moral necessity. We want an army that adheres to humanitarian standards, where women have brigades and bodies that make their organizational decisions independently.

Any attempt to marginalize women's participation in the military forces or undermine their legitimate right to protection is undoubtedly an attempt to exclude women's political and social roles, exposing women to serious risks.

From this standpoint, we call upon the international community, feminist and democratic organizations around the world, to support our legitimate demand for the establishment and guaranty of the presence of YPJ, which the entire world has witnessed in its role in the war against ISIS/Daesh mercenaries.

We do not accept a Syria whose future is drawn with a mentality of violence and exclusion. We want a homeland where the protection of women is the first guaranty for protecting democracy, and where weapons are tools for protecting life.

ANHA