NADA Alliance: Joint women’s struggle to end wars and genocide

The NADA Alliance (the Regional Democratic Women’s Alliance) issued a written statement on the occasion of International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8 each year.

The statement pointed out that International Women’s Day (March 8) comes this year (2025) while women in the Middle East and North Africa face a tragic reality, as they are besieged by wars, conflicts, and arrogant capitalist systems that thrive on their suffering. This makes discussions about independence and celebrating women incomplete amid ongoing repression and abuse perpetrated by both patriarchal societies and authoritarian regimes.

Women in the crosshairs of repression and targeting

The statement highlighted the situation of women in the Middle East, adding: “In occupied Palestine, women are struggling to rebuild what has been destroyed by Israel’s war machine, while in resilient Gaza, they continue to resist amidst devastation and ruin.

In Sudan, women have paid a heavy price due to war, becoming homeless refugees in the midst of famine and the spread of diseases.”

The statement continued: “In Syria, women’s suffering has worsened since Ahmad Al-Sharaa (leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham – formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) took power in Damascus, where women have been targeted, blackmailed over their rights, and excluded from decision-making positions. This has sparked widespread outrage both inside and outside Syria against religious authoritarian attempts to suppress women's freedom.

In Iran, the number of women executed or imprisoned has reached alarming figures, particularly human rights activists and participants in the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement.

In Yemen, women face compounded oppression from patriarchal regimes despite their immense sacrifices during the war. Meanwhile, women in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and Turkey continue to be subjected to targeting and repression.”

Shocking numbers confirm the ongoing oppression of women

The statement highlighted the continuation of violence against women, stating that around 17,000 Palestinian women were killed within a year due to the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. Additionally, 29,000 Syrian women have been killed since the beginning of the crisis, while thousands of Sudanese, Yemeni, and other women have been killed and tortured by armed factions and extremists.

Feminist anger spreads globally

The statement emphasized that these violations against women are no longer confined to conflict zones but have become a global issue, with support statements issued from India, Italy, and other Asian countries condemning these atrocities.

It also reaffirmed that joint women’s struggle is the only way to break the cycle of wars and genocide, as women have become the primary target of authoritarian and capitalist regimes that normalize violence against them.

The alliance stressed that the continued violation of women’s rights will lead to escalating chaos and the normalization of violence. It called on the international community to take concrete measures to end the suffering of women in Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan.

Furthermore, it urged UN bodies and human rights organizations to launch campaigns in support of women in conflict zones and to strengthen the global feminist movement to enhance solidarity among women from different countries.

The statement also emphasized the importance of defending the women’s revolutionary experience in North and East Syria, which has become a symbol of women’s struggle in the Middle East. It warned that any attempt to undermine this experience would have serious repercussions for all women in the region.

A-H

ANHA