Yemeni activist: YPJ struggle redefines women’s role in societies

Bahia Al-Saqqaf announced her solidarity with the YPJ and Kurdish women in a message addressed to the YPJ units.

These messages from activists and influencers across the Middle East come following the launch of the campaign “We Are All YPJ… YPJ Represents Us” by the Joint Platform for Women’s Movements and Organizations, calling for the official recognition of the YPJ within the Syrian constitution and its inclusion in the structure of the Ministry of Defense.

In her message, Al-Saqqaf said: “As an Arab woman, I express my humanitarian solidarity with Kurdish women in the YPJ, and with their struggle, which has marked a turning point in confronting violence and terrorism and in redefining the role of women in our societies.”

She added: “What the YPJ fighters have presented goes beyond the military dimension alone; it stands as a resistant feminist model that broke the stereotypical image restricting concepts of protection and strength to men, and proved that women are capable of standing at the forefront of defending themselves, their society, and their dignity.”

Al-Saqqaf stressed that women’s issues “are indivisible and are not confined by geographical borders or ethnic and religious affiliations,” considering them “one humanitarian cause,” and emphasizing that what women face anywhere is an extension of shared suffering that requires cross-border solidarity.

She pointed out that the struggle of Kurdish women, with all its sacrifices and determination, “inspires women around the world,” affirming that the path toward freedom and equality begins with breaking patterns of domination and discrimination and building collective awareness based on justice.

The Yemeni activist concluded her message by emphasizing that women’s solidarity is a force capable of creating change, saying: “Women’s issues unite us.”

A-H

ANHA