YNK women visit YJA STAR guerrillas in Kirkuk

YNK women visit YJA STAR guerrillas in Kirkuk
ANF - KIRKUK 

A delegation of women from Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) paid a solidarity visit to the YJA STAR units that were despatched to Kirkuk to defend the city against attacks of the Islamic State gangs.

The meeting between YNK and YJA STAR members witnessed a discussion of ISIS gangs' attacks on South Kurdistan and the impact of these attacks, especially on women.

Speaking during the visit, Lawa Xan, PUK executive for women's branch, called attention to the savagery imposed on women by ISIS gangs, and the pain suffered by women in wars.

Remarking that thousands of women have been killed, raped or abducted in the most recent ISIS attacks on Mosul and Sinjar, just like what formerly happened in the Iraq War and other wars, Xan stressed that the women abducted by ISIS from Sinjar were being sold to men at markets for 25,000 Dinar, and called attention to the influence of all these events on the women in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Pointing to the impression left on the local people by the presence of women guerrillas in the region, Xan said the people of the region were glad that HPG and YJA STAR guerrillas arrived there, and believed guerrillas would protect them till the end. The presence of women guerrillas in particular draws considerable interest as they fight against ISIS gangs notorious for brutality, she noted.

Speaking after, YJA STAR Commander Nuve Rojhat voiced satisfaction over the solidarity visit of YNK members, and stressed that it is especially women who need to be able to defend themselves against all kinds of attacks in a war environment.

“It is a truth that women suffer the most in wars but they should also reach a point where they can demonstrate self defense against any attack. No woman should leave herself to the mercy of men in the face of the savagery of the war reality. On the contrary, women should know that they can be the self-defense force of not only themselves but also of the society. With its 21-year practice, YJA STAR women's guerrilla army has concretely proved this to the whole world”, Rojhat said.

YJA STAR Commander Tamara Warjin on the other hand suggested that with the support of YNK women's branch, they could provide women from South Kurdistan with military training for self defense. Warjin said an organization for the self-defense of women was a necessity for the society itself as well.

Warmly welcoming the suggestion, the YNK delegation said they would soon initiate a discussion among themselves about an organization of women and do their part for the practice of this idea.

YNK and YJA STAR members stressed that all women should take part in an organization of women in the military area.