Proceedings of The 6th International Conference on Modern Approaches in Humanities and Social sciences
Year: 2023
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/6th.icmhs.2023.03.005
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The Contribution of Women in the Rojava Revolution: A Study on Their Role in Building a Democratic and Feminist Society
Sana Mohammed Hanif Shaikh
ABSTRACT:
Rojava is a budding democracy in a war-torn country. It is a region in the north and east of Syria comprising three cantons, namely Afrin, Kobane, and Jazira, that follow decentralized and grassroots democracy. One of the most remarkable aspects of this revolution is the participation and leadership of women in all areas of society. The administration of Rojava runs on a commune system, and women play an equal role in the workings of this system. This paper aims to explore the contribution of women in the Rojava revolution and their role in building a democratic, egalitarian, and feminist society. It examines the historical and social context in which the revolution emerged, the ideology and principles of democratic confederalism, and the structures and practices of self-governance implemented in Rojava. The paper also analyzes the specific contributions of women in different domains, such as politics, economics, education, and defense. It argues that the active participation of women in the Rojava revolution has been crucial for its success and sustainability in addition that their struggles for gender equality and women’s liberation are inseparable from the broader struggle for social justice and freedom. In conclusion, I shall put forth an overall observation and my suggestions. This is secondary research based on secondary data collection, for this paper researcher has gathered the existing artcicles and information from the official website of AANES, and other Kurdish websites, analyzed it, and further brought together relevant studies that support the researcher’s hypothesis. the paper delves into the recognition of women in forming the idea of a confederal state and working in a direction to make it a successful model of governance. The study will highlight the contribution of women in the north and east of Syria exclusively because it is relevant to the topic; however, the researcher acknowledges the contribution of feminists in the rest of Syria. Besides, there is a lack of studies in this field, and this paper would add volume to the area of research.
keywords: canton system; commune system; confederalism; egalitarianism; decentralized democracy; female liberation; gender equality