Weqfa Jina Azad a Surî (The Foundation of Free Women in Syria) was founded in September 2014 as Weqfa Jina Azad a Rojava, (The Foundation of Free Women in Rojava). With the Slogan “The free women is the basic for a free society!” we respond to the problems of the society in Northern Syria, which is named Rojava by the Kurds. With expending its activities to Arabic cities like Rakka and Tepka the foundation changed it name into Weqfa Jina Azad a Sûrî 2019.
We are an independent and non-profit organization, working for the common-wealth of the society in Rojava and Syria. Our work is concluded by the members assembly related to the evaluated needs of women. The needs of women is researched in surveys which we conduct among women in the society. All our work is organized in projects to support the society to build up a gender equal, democratic and ecological society. Our Foundation of Free Women in Rojava is coordinating the projects and is in charge of their successful development. In all projects we work together with partner organizations and correlated responsible.
With this brutal and unethical war, which continues in Syria, the existence of humanity and human beings is not recognizable anymore. Especially women and children are existential threatened. Kurdish, Arabic, Syrian and Armenian women are raped, kidnapped and then sold on markets. The IS (Islamic State) in Syria and in Irak have killed numerous women in this barbarous way. From the beginning the IS has focused its attacks on regions in which Kurds live like Shengal, Mosul, Raka, Heseke, Serekani, Kobani and Aleppo.
In their defense against these attacks Kurdish women have taken an outstanding role. Women with their identity as women are present in all parts of the fight in Rojava. Women in Syria and Rojava started a revolution and enlarge this day by day. With this powerful dynamic the Foundation of Free Women in Rojava wants to open a path to a free life in society. A stable basis is necessary to live as free human beings and as free women. As much as freedom with this extraordinary defense of women in this war has been created, as strong is the influence of the long-term structure of violence of the patriarchal system on the society.
The complete society in Syria and especially in Rojava is colorful and rich concerning religions, peoples, languages and ways of living. In this area Arabs, Syrians, Kurds, Armenian and Jews live together. But the society is still characterized by backwardly traditions and a feudal mentality. In the society of the Middle East the violence against women has reached a level, in which we can say that women have been exterminated. Violence is used in the name of feudalism, religion and other claims to power. The society is full of contradictions: In respect to the great history of the Middle East, the richness of culture and the diversity of religions it is painful to see how violence is structurally entrenched. There is violence like forced marriage of children, genital mutilation, killing of women, acid attacks, etc.. The life of women and children is in many ways negative influenced. For this reason our basic aim is to respond to this occurrence of violence holistically.
Traditionally the man earns the money and is responsible for the economy of the family in the Middle East society. Women only rarely have an earning work and mainly also did not visit schools, this shows, that structural violence in this patriarchal society is established deeply.
Women are often not allowed to go to work and they still are addicted economically to the patriarchal system in and outside of the family. For this reason the economic situation through the effect of the embargo and the quickly growing amount of people without work have seriously effects like hunger and experiential also the growth of physical and psychological violence against women and children.
Because of the violence which women experienced and the increase by the continuing war women everyday go through traumatic experiences in Syria and Rojava. These profounded social problems need a long-term and broad solution. As a foundation we develop with the force of women sustainable social projects to better the gender, health, economic and ecological situation in the society.
The nature and location of our projects is largely determined by the ongoing war and the resulting refugee situation. We started our first projects in the canton of Cizire in the city of Qamishlo. Projects have arisen in the cities of Serê Kaniyê, Til Temir, Kobane, Girkê Legê, Derik, Dirbesiyê, Heseke etc. Since 2019 we have started our work in the cities of Rakka and Tepka.