Qamishlo – With the massive wave of displacement and the strain of economic blockade, women have moved to the forefront of community life in the city of Qamishlo in Rojava. From organizing shelters and securing daily necessities to supporting the local economy, their strength has become a key driver in sustaining life and mitigating the impact of the crisis on the city.

In every wave of displacement, losses are not measured only by the number of empty homes, but by the scale of the disruption that affects both the social and economic balance. With the arrival of thousands of displaced families from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods to the city of Qamishlo, the city has turned into an open space of living pressure. Women have emerged on the front lines of the daily struggle to maintain the continuity of life and prevent its collapse.

Ghalia Mahmoud Al-Najjar, a member of the Women’s Economy Committee of Kongra Star in Qamishlo canton, confirmed that the regions of North and East Syria have witnessed a large wave of displacement of Afrin residents from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods as a result of the military escalation launched by the jihadists of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. This forced large numbers of civilians to head toward the city of Qamishlo, placing exceptional burdens on the region’s living and economic infrastructure.

She explained that the heavy influx of people coincided with the closure of major roads and crossings:

“Supply chains were severely disrupted, which was directly reflected in the availability of basic commodities, especially bread, heating materials, and cooking oils. This paralyzed market movement and increased economic pressure, effectively pushing the city into a suffocating living blockade.”

The supply, economy, and agriculture institutions, in cooperation with the local community, have tried to regulate the limited resources and prevent the crisis from worsening. However, the biggest challenge has been securing shelter and essential needs for the displaced.

“Many were forced to stay in schools, places of worship, or unfinished buildings, amid bitter cold and a severe shortage of heating means.”

Women, as shown, have borne the greatest burden of displacement. Their responsibilities in family care and meeting children’s needs have doubled under harsh psychological and economic conditions for which they were not prepared. Nevertheless, they have played a central role in social cohesion.

“They have helped organize shelter centers, protect children, support the community, participate in guarding and logistical support for fighters, prepare food, and maintain an active presence in community-based economic activities.”

Al-Najjar pointed out that this experience has revealed women’s ability to transform into an effective economic force. Women’s institutions are working to empower women—especially the displaced—through small projects that ensure independent income and reduce the impact of displacement. A large percentage of local economic activity is now led by women despite scarce resources.

She also noted that social solidarity has partially alleviated the severity of the crisis. Bakeries have continued operating, and traders have provided facilities as much as possible, in a collective attempt to prevent the collapse of living conditions.

“The current phase requires broad cooperation to overcome political, social, and economic challenges.”

Ghalia Al-Najjar concluded by stressing that the primary goal is for people to return to their homes:

“The land is not merely a place to live; it is the foundation of economic and social stability. The resilience and solidarity of society are the real guarantee for overcoming this phase with the least possible losses.”

Aleppo – The Women’s Economy Committee in the neighborhoods of al-Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud in the city of Aleppo has expanded its economic projects and established service and productive initiatives to accelerate the effective integration of women into economic activity.

The negative impacts of the siege imposed on the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafiya by militants of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham are directly reflected on families. This siege, which has continued for nearly three months, has caused severe shortages of essential materials such as diesel fuel and flour, disrupting the operation of bakeries amid a deteriorating electricity situation.

Residents of both neighborhoods are deprived of their right to heating fuel despite extremely low temperatures, especially during the early morning hours. Children, women, the elderly, and the sick suffer from the severe cold, which increases the spread of illnesses amid declining health services due to shortages of medical supplies and treatments.

The Largest Share of Profits Goes to the Women Workers

Yasmin Najjar, a member of the Women’s Economy Committee in al-Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud, told our agency that their projects have been harmed by the imposed siege:
“Checkpoints of the interim government prevent the entry of commercial goods needed for the committee’s shops, in addition to the shortage of agricultural supplies, which damages the committee’s agricultural project and obstructs the normal course of life.”

The work of the committee, which aims to achieve economic self-sufficiency for women and support their ability to work, has been affected. The committee seeks to empower women so they can develop strong, independent personalities and play an active role and have a respected position and voice in society.

The working system, as explained, is based on valuing the efforts of women workers by allocating the largest share of project profits to them, while the committee takes only 25% of the profits.

Yasmin Najjar explained that all those managing the projects are women. From this standpoint, the committee strives to establish projects even if they are small, as what matters most is that women benefit and develop:
“Women are capable of managing the household and raising children, and they also possess strong management and organizational skills.”

With the onset of winter, students in al-Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud are suffering from severe cold and falling ill due to the lack of heating fuel in classrooms.

Therefore, the women of the two neighborhoods are raising their voices to express their rejection of the practices of the interim government against residents, calling for an end to this targeting.

Projects of the Women’s Economy Committee

Yasmin Najjar stated that the committee’s latest project involved planting a garlic crop, but due to the siege and the shortage of necessary agricultural supplies, the project failed.

Previously, the committee invested in an agricultural land project located in the al-Shaqeef area, managed by a woman and her husband, including irrigation, supplies, and all farming requirements, while the committee supervised the project. Additionally, the committee recently opened a small shop in al-Ashrafiya, managed by a mother of a child. However, after the siege was imposed by the interim government, the shop was severely affected, as the woman was unable to bring in goods, causing financial losses for both her and the committee.

At the end of her statement, Yasmin Najjar called for lifting the siege imposed on the two neighborhoods, stressing that the attacks and violations carried out by militants of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham primarily target the people’s achievements.

Qamishlo — As the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women approaches, a dynamic women’s movement in the Autonomous Region of North and East Syria has, over the past years, succeeded in building a unique economic and social model that places women at the heart of development and societal transformation.

Rudin Isa, a member of Women’s Economy, affirmed that depriving women of control over their own economy is one of the most significant forms of violence against them. She described this international day as a symbol of the long struggle women have waged against all forms of oppression and tyranny, defending their dignity and their right to a free and honorable life:
“Women have always been — and remain — a symbol of giving, determination, and a force for change in the face of patriarchal mindsets that have, for centuries, attempted to marginalize their role and erase their value.”

In Qamishlo, where practical experience intersects with ideological vision, Isa asserts that the Women’s Economy project is no longer merely an initiative to launch income-generating projects. Instead, it has become a strategic path for reshaping society based on participation, justice, and equality.

This project, rooted in a long history of women’s resilience and creativity, revives the pioneering role of women as the first founders of the economy and the original creators of production, organization, and self-sufficiency. With accumulated experience and the proven success of women in managing agricultural, industrial, and commercial ventures, the features of an alternative economy have emerged — one based on cooperation and collectivity — restoring to women their strength and their right to determine their own destiny, free from dependency.

A Strategic Step Toward Rebuilding Society

Isa emphasized that the Women’s Economy project in North and East Syria goes far beyond establishing productive projects; it is a strategic step toward rebuilding society on foundations of participation and justice.

She explained:
“It is important to remember that women were the first to establish the foundations of economy since the dawn of history. Women recognized the value of work, production, and organization. They discovered agriculture, collected seeds, cultivated the land, and harvested its fruits. Through this, they built a system based on participation and cooperation, not exploitation and domination.”

According to Isa, women’s intelligence and innate intuition enabled them to understand the importance of organization, savings, and securing food for the future. They were the first to grasp the concept of economic planning — even before the emergence of money or trade. This means that the essence of economy is originally a feminine idea born from women’s need to secure life and provide stability for their community.

With time, patriarchal systems pushed women away from this pioneering role, reducing them to dependents in a male-dominated economic structure built on exploitation. Yet despite all this, women preserved the spirit of work and contribution, proving in every era that they are the foundation of production and life.

Isa affirmed that today’s Women’s Economy project continues this deep-rooted history and seeks to restore balance in society by economically empowering women:
“When women have their own income and financial independence, they gain the power to make decisions and free themselves from all forms of dependency and violence. Economy is not merely a means of living — it is a path to liberation and self-building. Women have proven capable of transforming economy into a space for struggle and creativity.”

Women as the Original Creators

She noted that all of this has been made possible thanks to the philosophy of leader Abdullah Öcalan, who — as she emphasizes — restored women to their rightful place through the concept that society cannot be free without the freedom of women, and that a free economy must rely on women’s active participation:
“Abdullah Öcalan saw women as the essence of life and the source of moral and human values. Through his ideas, we were able to rebuild the concept of economy on the basis of justice and equality.”

Isa explained that through Women’s Economy institutions, women in North and East Syria have proven their ability to manage and produce, launching successful agricultural, industrial, and commercial projects that created job opportunities and contributed to the region’s development:
“This success is clear evidence that when given the opportunity, women can create change and build a free and independent economy that serves everyone. We believe that continuing this project is the true guarantee for building a democratic and integrated society based on social justice and gender equality. Women are not only half of society — they are its foundation and the originators of the first idea upon which today’s systems are built.”

Working Mechanism

Through communes, councils, and Kongra Star, the Women’s Economy Institution works to train women and communicate with them directly to discuss their circumstances, raise awareness of their rights, and encourage them to participate in economic and social life:
“Many women come to Women’s Economy institutions seeking training and information to better understand themselves, their capabilities, and the cooperative work system within these institutions.”

Isa noted that their first step involves gathering women in regular meetings to discuss the types of work they wish to engage in — such as sewing, bakery work, clothing shops, handicrafts, or homemade preserves. Through these meetings, ideas and suitable project proposals are developed to enhance autonomy, strengthen internal organization, and conduct preliminary studies for the projects suggested by the women.

Women’s Economy institutions then evaluate these projects economically and organizationally before implementing them on the ground. Recently, women opened their own bakery in Qamishlo, alongside several other women-run projects across various productive and commercial fields. The most significant among these are agricultural projects, considered the backbone of the region’s economy.
“The main goal is to reach all women in the community through the communes and spread the concept of a free and independent economy so that no woman remains weak or dependent on others.”

A Central Role in Building a Free Economy

In conclusion, Isa stated that their work is based on the vision of Abdullah Öcalan:
“During training sessions, we begin by reading the sixth volume of Öcalan’s Manifesto, focusing on the parts discussing women’s economy and how it has been developed in recent years. The manifesto thoroughly explores women’s central role in building a free economy and how they have advanced and strengthened their presence throughout history.”

“Through these sessions, we aim to empower all women worldwide and to build a life inspired by the spirit of women who struggle, evolve, and seek change. Women must unite and stand together to achieve freedom, equality, and a society built on justice and dignity

Jinwar was officially opened on 25th November 2018, but the process of its establishment was a longer journey. The idea of building a women’s village was inspired by proposals of Abdullah Öcalan and discussed for a long time by the Kurdish Women’s Movement. With the 2012 Rojava Revolution, including the establishment of the self-administration and the withdrawal of the Baath regime from most areas these ideas became more realizable. Concrete plans started in 2016 by an initiative of different women organizations – Kongra Star, the Free Women’s Foundation, the Jineolojî Academy and the Martyr Families Council. The land, which had once been confiscated by the state, was initially cultivated after the revolution by an agricultural cooperative of Aboriya Jin (women’s economy committee) and then donated to the project.

In 2017 the construction of the village started. The houses of the village were built in a traditional way by forming bricks out of earth, water and straw. Some of the buildings were decorated with murals showing the spirit and the message of the women’s village. For example the image of Şahmaran as the bearer of an ancient knowledge symbolizes women’s struggle, strength of transformation and wisdom. The building process of this village connects to a long history of women’s struggle in Kurdistan, to the efforts and sacrifices of many women.

“Women are strongly connected with society – they are the ones organizing the basis of life, inventing methods and tools to solve problems in society and creating bonds of solidarity and mutual support. We are getting connected to this role again, organizing our life together, supporting each other and sharing our knowledge with each other.” says Sirîn, a woman currently living in the village. She came as a language teacher to the village. Previously she lived in Qamishlo where she was a school teacher, first under the rule of the Baath regime and then as part of establishing the new education system in the Kurdish mother-language in the system self-administration. Now she is teaching reading and writing, as well as other subjects, to the mothers and children in Jinwar in their own mother-tongues, both Arabic and Kurdish.

The life in Jinwar is based on communal values and principles such as ecology, democratic self-organization, women’s economy, women’s health, education and the building up of a common future. The women share their knowledge about gardening and ecological ways of growing fruits and vegetables. At the same time, their aim is to build a self-sustainable life that offers independence on an economic level. The women of Jinwar are building up a communal economy by working hand in hand with other cooperatives in the region. Furthermore, they run a bakery, a small village store and dry vegetables for the winter which are also sold. All decisions concerning the daily life, activities, new ideas and the village economy are discussed and made in the village council assemblies. The children and the youth have their own assemblies and spokespersons in order to participate in democratic decision making processes.

Connected to the village, is also the health center ŞifaJin (Healing of Women). The natural healing and health center opened in 2020 and has rooms for treatments, consultations, educational work, and the production of natural remedies. The project also includes a garden where medicinal herbs are cultivated. ŞifaJin’s ambulance ensures mobility in urgent cases and the cooperation with women from surrounding villages to collect and share traditional natural healing knowledge in connection with modern knowledge and treatment methods.

“The life in Jinwar is an example for women living and organizing together and finding their strength together. It is a place that shines around the world. Being here and talking to the women here, I really feel freer and hopeful. It is clear, we need more places all around the world like this village. It is our task as internationalists to build up these places everywhere and establish a network of connection between them”, concludes Julia after her visit at Jinwar.

More information and impressions about Jinwar, you can find here or here.

Since the start of the revolution in Rojava, Kongra Star, an umbrella organization for all women’s organizations and institutions in North and East Syria, has developed projects and established cooperatives to promote women’s economic empowerment and increase women’s participation in the labor force.

In an interview with NuJINHA, Rozelîn Bekir, member of Kongra Star Economy Committee, gave information about their activities and their projects in the future.

‘Some precautions have been taken due to the lack of rainfall this year’

“At the beginning of each year, Kongra Star determines its new economic strategy,”

Rozelîn Bekir told us. “This year, we have decided to continue our previous projects on trade and agriculture and make more efforts for some cooperatives we established in previous years. We have taken some precautions and measures due to the lack of rainfall this year. We assigned three families to cooperatives in the city of Hasakah, and we have drilled water wells for agricultural areas. We have developed new projects in the cities of Tabqa, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.”

‘Agricultural lands have been damaged in the attacks’

Rozelîn Bekir commented on the ongoing Turkish attacks on the region, targeting the infrastructure. “Last year was a difficult year for us because the attacks of the Turkish state have targeted the infrastructure of the region for two years, causing great damage to the regional economy,” she said.

“The attacks also affect us, as the Kongra Star Economy Committee. We have taken some precautions to minimize the damage. We held meetings and decided to install solar panels in some agricultural areas and grow vegetables in agricultural lands. We have a project called ‘Lavîn’ in the city of Hasakah. The project aims to manufacture women’s clothing. We bought new sewing machines. We also provide vocational courses for women to increase women’s labor participation. We have established sewing workshops in Kobanê.”

‘We have created employment opportunities for women in Aleppo’

Rozelîn Bekir also gave information about their activities in the city of Aleppo. “We have created employment opportunities for women in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods of Aleppo. We have opened a sewing workshop and Arab and Kurdish women work together at the workshop.”

‘Developing the communal economy is the duty of women’

Kongra Star Economy Committee aims to develop more projects in the upcoming years. “We aim to develop new projects across the region in the future. One of our projects is to build large factories and workshops in some areas to manufacture clothes for women and children. We will do what North and East Syria needs, we are ready to build our society. Building the social economy and developing the communal economy is the duty of women.”

In 2015, Kongra Star Economy Committee launched a project named “Demsal Project” in the town of Tirbespiyê (Al-Qahtaniyah), Jazira Canton of North and East Syria, to develop agriculture and animal husbandry. About 100 women have participated in the project, providing agricultural and dairy products to the people of the town.

The project aims to develop agriculture and animal husbandry in the town, Gulê Murad, Spokesperson of the Kongra Star Economy Committee, told NuJINHA. “About 100 women have participated in the project. These women work not only to earn a living but also to strengthen their personality. They have knowledge about agriculture and animal husbandry. They plant and grow vegetables, fruits, wheat, lentils and corn. They also make dairy products such as cheese and yogurt and tomato and paprika paste.”

‘Women see themselves as the project owners’

The project is an important step for the region, Gulê Murad emphasized, adding:

“This project is a very important project because it meets the basic needs of people. Self-sustainability is one of the goals of the project. The project also provides job opportunities to women. Women see themselves as the project owners not the workers. We also provide courses on self-defense, women’s rights and freedom to women.”

Speaking about their preparation for autumn, Gulê Murad said, “We are getting ready for autumn. Autumn is the season for building greenhouses and the birth process for animals. We plan to open a shop to sell agricultural and dairy products because everyone cannot come here to buy the products.”

‘This project provides job opportunities to women’

Reca Mixlif has participated in the project since 2020. “This year, temperatures have been above normal and it negatively affects the crops. The power outages also affect the crops. This project provides job opportunities to women, achieving gender equality.”

Til Temir – Displaced women in North and East Syria have been waging a common struggle although their homelands have been occupied, they have been suffering from displacement, their identities have been ignored and the demographic structure of their region have been changed. In the shadow of all these circumstances, they welcome International Women’s Day. Women, who were displaced from Serêkanîyê (Ras al-Ayn) by the Turkish attacks, have been living in Til Nesri, a Syriac village of Til Temir, northeastern Syria, since October 9, 2019.

NuJINHA spoke to displaced women working at the Iştar Tandoor Cooperative, established by the Economy Committee of Kongra Star in the city of Til Temir to promote women’s economic empowerment, about International Women’s Day.

‘Our homeland must be liberated’

“Women must claim their rights, especially to secure their future,” said Emîne Hisê, who was first displaced from Serêkanîyê by the Turkish attacks and then from Aleppo by the attacks of Al-Nusra Front. “Now, women participate in the labor force everywhere, achieving successes and demanding their rights.”

Emîne Hisê wants Serêkanîyê to be liberated. “We hope that the occupations will end, the Kurdish people will gain their status and achieve victory as a result of their struggle. We hope to return to our homeland. We also demand the physical freedom of leader Abdullah Öcalan.”

Emîra Micris talked about the long-year women’s struggle for rights. “They still have not had their rights although they make more efforts than men. We demand gender equality everywhere.”

‘Our joy remains incomplete’

Emîra Micris called on the Turkish state to withdraw from “our homeland so that we can return to our homes. Our joy remains incomplete because our city, homeland, and our homes are occupied. Displacement is a form of violence. Therefore, our joy will remain incomplete until this violence ends and our cities are liberated. We can celebrate International Women’s Day when our homeland is liberated and we return to our homes. How can I celebrate International Women’s Day when my city is under occupation? We dream of a free country and a world without violence, where men and women are equal.”

Kongra Star Economy Committee of North and East Syria continues to develop projects to provide employment to women. One of the projects of the committee is the “Waşûkanî” project aiming at providing employment to displaced women.

This project has become a source of income for the displaced women of Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ayn) living in the Til Nesri village of Til Temir, also known as Tell Tamer.

“Kongra Star Economy Committee provides both financial and psychological support to us,” said Emîra Mihêmîd Micris, one of the displaced women earning a living by baking flatbread.

Emîra Mihêmîd Micris has been living in the village for five years, since they were displaced by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions from Sêrekaniyê. “We settled in the village of Ashuri after being displaced from Sêrekaniyê,” she told NuJINHA. “With the support of the committee, we started our project to bake flatbread. We are three women, one of us makes dough, and the other spreads the dough. I bake the bread.”

The three women bake flatbread according to the needs of the displaced people. “We like baking bread. Instead of sitting at home, we earn a living and serve our people. We work from 5 AM to noon.”

Calling on all women to participate in the labor force, Emîra Mihêmîd Micris said, “There’s nothing to be ashamed of working. All women should work to get their economic independence.”

Arab and Kurdish women work together to bake flatbread. “We are all children of this region. We live together without any discrimination. We are all sisters; there is no difference among us.”

‘They stole all my memories’

Emîra Mihêmîd Micrisa also talked about the crimes committed by the Turkish state. “They (the Turkish state) took my house, stole all my memories. We expect to return to our homeland. When we return to our homeland, we will build a new life. We demand an end to the Turkish occupation. I call on all people to support us in order to end the Turkish occupation in our homeland.”

Emîra Mihêmîd Micris also called on all women to “be strong and develop projects to get your economic independence.”

Kongra Star Economy Committee [Aboriya Jin] develops projects to promote women’s economic empowerment. In 2018, the committee started a cooperative called “Demsal” in the city of Hasakah. Since then, the committee has developed and realized many projects to increase women’s labor force participation. Inanna Restaurant, one of these projects, offers large thin flatbread, seasonal food and products. The cooperative creates employment for 10 women.

Why Demsal?

We decided to name the cooperative “Demsal” because it means season in Kurdish, said Nisrîn Şêxo, one of the managers of the cooperative.

“Women play an important role in all facets of life, ensuring the reliable, equal and just development of the social economy,” she told NuJINHA. “We know that the cooperative system will be developed by women’s leadership. We named the cooperative ‘Demsal’ because we offer food and productions for four seasons. These days, women work to prepare canned food such as apples, zucchini, grapes, eggplant marmalades and jams and make cheese and tomato paste. Next month, we will make fruit paste and walnuts on a string dipped in starch grape molasses to be consumed by people celebrating the beginning of the year.

10 women work at restaurant

The cooperative creates employment for 10 women. “10 women work for the cooperative in solidarity with each other. The Demsal Cooperative has many projects and one of them is the Inanna Restaurant offering large thin flatbread, seasonal food and products. Since Hasakah suffers from water outages, the cooperative provides a space for people to wash their carpets.”

‘We want women to achieve their economic independence’

The Inanna Restaurant plays an important role in the development of the Demsal Cooperative, Nisrîn Şêxo emphasized. “Inanna is the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war, and fertility. She controls both life and death. We named our restaurant as Inanna because all the local dishes offered by our restaurant are cooked and served by women. We want women to achieve their economic independence through cooperatives.”

‘Women’s solidarity leads the cooperative to success’

“Women’s solidarity leads the cooperative to success,” said Celîla Hisên, one of the founders of the cooperative. “I am one of the founders of the cooperative. 10 women work for the cooperative by supporting and being in solidarity with each other. Both Kurdish and Arab women work for the cooperative. The aim of the cooperative is to promote women’s economic empowerment.”

Dêrik- The Women’s Economy of the Kongra Star develops projects to increase women’s participation in the labour force in Dêrik (Al-Malikiyah), a city in Jazira Canton of North and East Syria. It opened a furniture store named “Star” in the city two months ago to promote women’s economic empowerment. NuJINHA spoke to Asya Osman, member of the Women’s Economy, about the store.

‘We aim to promote women’s economic empowerment’

 “We opened the store to increase women’s participation in the labour force,” Asya Osman said, adding, “We have already put many agricultural projects into practice and now we aim to promote women’s participation in the business. We have rented the building to open a furniture store for a long time. Despite financial difficulties, we managed to open it two months ago. Women make furniture in the city of Qamishlo and we sell them at the store.”

‘Women should be active in the labour force’

Women should be active in the labour force, Asya Osman stressed. “The store opens from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Every day, many people visit the store to buy furniture for their houses. We wish success to all women in the labour force and call on all women to participate in the labour force. Women should work to achieve their economic independence.”

The Rojava revolution is also an economic revolution. On the basis of a communal democratic economy based on needs, a new, alternative system to capitalism and industrialism is being built step by step. The focus is on empowering society. Strengthening the autonomous women’s economy plays a special role in this.

In this ANF interview, Gulistan Murad from the economics committee of the Kongra-Star women’s movement spoke about the importance of building the women’s economy and developing this area. She also highlighted problems that economic reconstruction has to contend with.

You keep talking about “women’s economic self-defense.” What does that mean?

I think it would not be wrong to describe the Third World War as an economic war. This economic war is directed directly against the economy of society. The women’s economy has been hit hardest in this war. For this reason, we consider economic self-defense to be very important. Women must have a strong position in the economy. For this reason, we are committed to ensuring that women achieve economic independence. By ensuring economic self-defense, the power of women is also shown. So-called natural disasters have been increasing recently. These disasters cause great economic and ecological damage. However, they are no longer natural disasters. They have developed into war disasters that directly affect the economy. The destruction of the economy leads to social crisis and chaos. More than half of the women we have visited have not yet been able to achieve economic independence. Women who cannot defend themselves are exposed to physical and psychological attacks in all areas of life. The emancipation of women is directly linked to the economic independence of women. Of course, this doesn’t mean that women who achieve economic independence are completely liberated. Women can only liberate themselves by achieving spiritual freedom based on the right foundations. But economic independence is an important step on the road to emancipation.

When women cannot defend themselves against economic violence, they are exposed to the attacks of patriarchy. This is where the importance of self-defense becomes clear. A woman who can defend herself economically can organize herself, make her own decisions and implement them. She has the right to have a say. Self-defense requires strong self-confidence and strong willpower. We can easily see the differences between women who have achieved economic independence and those who have not. A woman who has achieved independence is the one who shapes her own life. A woman who is economically dependent on a family or an individual is denied a say and is deprived of alternative choices.

Could you say something about the concept of economic self-defense in general?

Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] says that ‘the strongest economy is the economy created by the hands of women.’ The economy created by the hands of women was stolen from women, and women were alienated from this economy. With the Rojava Revolution, a new level of struggle for women to build the economy of a region and guarantee self-defense was achieved. An economy based on individualism is not beneficial for society and women. Self-defense can be achieved by creating a collective economy. This is how the defense of a country’s economy is practiced. The struggle for self-defense is the struggle for building a new country. A woman whose country has not achieved economic independence cannot realize her economic self-defense. The struggle for self-defense is a struggle for mentality. The socialization of the economy will lead to the strengthening of self-defense.

What are the reasons why women have not been able to achieve the desired level of economic self-defense so far?

We do not have an economic system that can include all women. We have tried to reach women through cooperatives, but we have encountered obstacles here. There have been difficulties due to women’s self-image and the way society deals with the economy. Women do not see the economy or work as their own. Indeed, we are clearly feeling the consequences of the damage done to women by centuries of patriarchal social conditioning. Self-defense has not been able to reach the desired level because women have not been able to free themselves from traditional ways of thinking, have continued to see themselves confined to the home and have not been able to overcome this situation. Women who have never had economic freedom, who have never had a say, and whose rights have been violated by the Baath regime for years, cannot easily escape this clutch. Moreover, we have not managed to completely change the patriarchal mentality that limits women in their responsibilities and that sees it as a danger when women gain economic independence. To date, we have not managed to make society understand that self-defense is not just a military thing. It is our fundamental duty and responsibility to convey to women the need for self-defense, from the military to politics, from politics to education, from education to economics and diplomacy.

Wars also had a negative impact on the economy. The war environment, which caused deep damage to society, led to the destruction rather than the strengthening of the economy. The economy that was supposed to develop in the atmosphere of war was offered only limited opportunities. To ensure economic recovery, the damage must be repaired, and the conditions created for the creation of strong alternatives. In fact, the permanent war highlights the importance of economic self-defense. In a country experiencing economic collapse, society and women are exposed to massive migration pressure. There are people who cannot afford to live in a place that does not offer job opportunities.

Can you tell us something about the economic model you created with the Rojava Revolution and your measures to strengthen women’s economy?

With the Rojava Revolution, we want to build a communal economy. An economy that produces in the service of society. We strive to create a model that enables production in a collective spirit. The foundation for the communal economy was laid through cooperatives. The cooperative system was a novelty in Rojava. Under the Baath regime, we did not have a system of self-government that integrated women’s economies and integrated them into society. The economic system was in the hands of the state and society was like a recipient of orders from the state. Society had no say in the development of its economy. The cooperatives created jobs for women and offered them great opportunities to strengthen their economy and manage themselves. Indeed, social justice was achieved. By creating a system of social justice, the community was promoted. Many women could not find job opportunities. With cooperatives, women are given job opportunities and a space to realize themselves. 80 percent of the cooperatives are engaged in agriculture. The agricultural cooperatives, which were established in the seven cantons to provide every woman with a job opportunity and thus economic independence, also contribute to strengthening the country’s economic development.

How does women’s economic independence affect the relationships between women, their families and society, as well as the efforts to achieve gender equality?

The economic empowerment of women promotes equality and equal opportunities for women and men. The economic independence of women increases their self-confidence and enables them to make their own decisions. This strengthens their self-confidence and self-esteem. This enables a more balanced distribution of power in family relationships and a more effective role in decision-making processes and supports the formation of healthier and more equal relationships within the family. Women are thus encouraged to become more involved in the economic sphere and in various areas of society. This leads to greater social participation and enables women to be more active in the social sphere. This helps to reduce poverty and increase social prosperity. This in turn leads to a stronger and more sustainable society in general. For these reasons, measures and programs to promote the economic independence of women are an important step towards creating a fairer, more balanced and more sustainable social structure.

What are the plans and projects for the future?

Our main goal is to spread the understanding of the communal economic model. We have decided to focus on education in the near future, which is why we plan to open a business academy. We plan to develop cooperative projects that serve society and women. Our discussions on this are ongoing. Our main goal is to build a self-sufficient economic system.

The committee reported on the amount of wheat produced and said that in general it was a good harvest. For example, in one of the biggest cooperatives in Al-Shaddadi district 233 tons of wheat were harvested. In the cooperative of Qamishlo (city), where 30 women worked during harvest season, the land produced 50 sacks of wheat. Wheat was also harvested in the districts of Tirbespiyê, Kobanî, Al-Shaddadi, Raqqa, Tabqa and Der-Zor.

Due to the low amount of rain during the season and the water policies of the Turkish state, the women workers and administrators faced many difficulties in almost all projects. Project administrator Souad Malla said, “The aim of cultivating these areas as part of the women‘s economy is to cultivate them in a way that women can regain their main role in the economy, rely on themselves, revive the collective spirit and participatory life among women, and provide them with job opportunities and their self-reliance.

Hasakah – On October 9,2019, the Turkish state attacked Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ayn), displacing thousands, including women and children. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) built an IDP camp called Washokani camp for the displaced people of Serêkanîyê. In 2023, Kongra Star Economy Committee opened a bakery called “Tenûra Îştar” to support displaced women and create the spirit of communal life in the camp. Three women working at the bakery bake fresh bread between 4 and 7 a.m. and between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. every day.

‘Many women need to work to earn a living’

The bakery is the source of living for women living in Washokani camp, said Hesîna Elî, an employee of the bakery. “I am one of the displaced people from Serêkaniyê’s Til Thiyab village. We had to leave our village due to the Turkish attacks and settled in Washokani camp. In the camp, many women need to work to earn a living. This bakery provides employment to us and offers cheap bread to all displaced people in the camp.”

‘We work with a common spirit’

“We work together with a common spirit,”Hesîna Elî said, adding, “We are three women working at the bakery. We bake flatbread by being in solidarity with each other. We want to expand our business to bake tandoori bread. The challenge we face is that we bake bread over an open fire even in summer. We need more space to expand our business.”

‘Ishtar is a goddess who creates life’

Speaking about the name of the bakery, Hesîna Elî said, “The bakery is named after Ishtar. Ishtar is a goddess who creates life. We named the bakery after Ishtar because Ishtar has a special place in our heart. Throughout history, women have developed agriculture, baked bread and played an important role in their societies. Before women could not participate in the labor force because working was shameful for women. After the revolution in Rojava, women began to participate in the labour force by breaking gender stereotypes. I express my support to all women working to earn a living. We thank the Kongra Star Economy Committee for supporting displaced women.”

Many cooperatives have been started in North and East Syria to develop women’s communal economy. The Women’s Economy, an organization in North and East Syria aiming at supporting women’s economic empowerment, launched the “Jiyan (Life) Project” in the city of Dêrik (Al-Malikiyah) two years ago. The project will turn into a cooperative next year.

 As part of the project, 1,500 fruit trees were planted in the city two years ago. This year, 4,000 fruit trees, including 350 fig trees, 1,700 olive trees and 350 persimmon trees, have been planted on 13 hectares of land in the village of Melemerze. The project will turn into a cooperative when the trees start fruiting next year.

NuJINHA spoke to Hemîda Şawîş, a member of the Dêrik Women’s Economy, about the project.

The members of the women’s economy have been working on the project for two years, Hemîda Şawîş said. “The land was cleared and plowed and 4,000 fruit trees, including fig, olive and persimmon trees, were planted. The aim of the project is to support women’s economic empowerment.”

10 women are responsible for growing and watering the trees. “Every day, they work to care for the trees. There are many cooperatives in the city. Next year, we will turn our project into a cooperative when the trees start fruiting.”

‘The Fruit trees will be given to families’

After the project turns into a cooperative, the Women’s Economy will give the trees to families. “These families will work at the cooperative. The fruits will belong to them so that they will earn a living. The Women’s Economy will be responsible for the trees until they start fruiting. Then, the families will take this responsibility.”

Communal effort, communal economy

Speaking about the cooperatives in the city, she said, “Thanks to the cooperatives, women work together, earn a living and get to know each other. They make efforts together for their cooperatives. Before the revolution in Rojava, women could not participate in the labor force but today they participate in the labor force. As the Women’s Economy, we hold a meeting every month. 25-30 women work at each cooperative to have a communal effort and a communal economy.”

‘Women should be economically independent’

Pointing to the importance of an independent economy for women, Hemîda Şawîş said, “Women should not depend on men. Women should work and be economically independent. The main aim of the cooperatives is to create employment for women. We call on all women to be members of the cooperatives and take part in communal economic activities.”

‘We want to have abundant trees’

Ehed Ehmed Fendî is one of the women responsible for growing and watering the trees. “We are a family living in the village,” she said. “My spouse takes care of this orchard while I dig around the roots of these trees to water them. We work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. We have made great efforts for this orchard and see it as our orchard. We want to have abundant trees.”

‘You should make efforts if you want the trees to fruit’

The “Jiyan Project” was also launched in Raqqa. Rîm Xelîf Salim is one of the women working for the project in Raqqa. “We work here in charge of removing weeds under the trees, digging around the roots and watering the trees. You should make efforts if you want the trees to fruit. Our job is hard, but we are happy to work and earn a living.”

Kongra Star Economy Committee has been making great efforts in Til Temir (Tell Tamer), a town in the Jazira Canton of North and East Syria, to provide employment to women and strengthen the local economy. It has started three bakery cooperatives and nine agricultural cooperatives and more than 35 women are employees of these cooperatives. Kongra Star Economy Committee has 5,326 acres of land, including 900 acres of agricultural land.

 NuJINHA spoke to Zehra Mihemed, an administrator of the committee, about the cooperatives and challenges faced by them.

Women and families participate in production

“The lands of the Economy Committee are located in different areas. Women and families participate in production. They grow wheat and corn. Our aim is to provide employment to women. According to our system, one family is responsible for 100 acres of land.”

 ‘We expect to harvest more crops this year than the previous year’

The region suffers from economic crisis, siege and ongoing attacks, Zehra Mihemed emphasized and said:

“Despite all these challenges, women do their best to develop projects. The women living in areas under intense attacks respond to the enemy by developing projects. We dug three water wells to irrigate 900 acres of agricultural land. We suffer from a deepening economic crisis. The Turkish state often targets civilian infrastructure, including our oil and natural gas wells. We also have projects to support the use of solar energy. We aim to promote women’s economic empowerment. Our agricultural project continues. We expect to harvest more crops this year than the previous year.”

Since the revolution that started in North and East Syria on July 19, 2012, women have been participating in all facets of life, including the labour force. Being excluded from working life before the revolution, the women now play important roles in promoting regional and local production.

Kongra Star Economy Committee in Hasakah provides employment opportunities to women by developing projects despite the ongoing siege imposed by the Syrian government and the Turkish attacks. It also promotes women’s participation in the labour force to secure their financial future. The committee has opened sewing workshops and established a factory employing more than 35 women. It promotes women’s labour force participation by opening bakeries in IDPs camps such as Washokani Camp and Al-Talea Camp.

‘We aim to reveal the collective spirit’

The aim of our projects is to increase women’s independence and participation in the labor force, said Salma Ahmed, member of the committee. “The main purpose of our projects is to empower women and support them to get their economic independence without depending on anyone. We aim to reveal the collective spirit by making women partners of the projects.”

‘Women should participate in the labor force’

In Hasakah, women take part in many projects developed by the committee about agriculture, carpet weaving, bakery, sewing and gardening. “25 women work in the sewing workshop. This project will continue for a year,” said Salma Ahmed, who also talked about the projects that they want to realise soon. “Wells will be dug for irrigation. In addition, there is a need for women who can work as carpet cleaners. We will hold meetings with communes to reach women. During the meetings, we will give information about cooperatives.”

Salma Ahmed believes that women should participate in the labour force to get their economic independence and support their families. “Women should take part in the projects of the committee because these projects will prevent women from being exploited by men.”

The Economy Committee of the Kongra Star has put many projects into practice in Kobanê Canton of North and East Syria to promote women’s economic empowerment. In an interview with NuJINHA, Hêvîn Mustefa, member of the committee, gave information about the projects. “After the revolution that took place on July 19, 2012, women took their stolen rights back and began to take part in all facets of life,” she said.

‘Economic independence is very important for women’

Indicating that women keep struggling against traditions and customs that feed the patriarchal mindset, Hêvîn Mustefa said, “Economic independence is very important for women. Thousands of years ago, women were powerful in the economy; however, the role of women in the economy has been marginalized by the patriarchal mindset and the capitalist system.”

‘We have put many projects into practice’

The Economic Committee aims to promote women’s economic empowerment by developing projects in the Euphrates Region. “We have put more projects into practice compared to last year. Since the beginning of 2023, we have opened sewing workshops, bakeries and beauty and hair salons.”

‘More than 150 women have participated in the labor force’

The Economic Committee has made great efforts to put agriculture projects into practice next year. “We have provided employment opportunities to women. More than 150 women have participated in the labor force thanks to the projects of the committee,” said Hêvîn Mustefa.

Hêza Şêx Bozan, another member of the committee, told us that they want women to be economically independent. “Our aim is to support women and provide employment opportunities to them.”

‘I earn a living without depending on anyone’

Zêynep Welîd is one of the women working in the beauty and hair salon opened by the Economic Committee. She began to work in the salon about eight months ago. Before working in the salon, she took a training course and successfully completed the course. She said, “In the coming days, we will receive our certificates. Now, there are 13 women attending the beauty course and four women attending the sewing course. Now, I earn a living without depending on anyone.”

Trees were planted in the Derik region as part of the Jîyan project that the Rojava Ecological Women’s Platform is working with to protect the environment, and as a gift to all those who have given their lives to protect the revolution. The motto of the project is “Against chemical weapons that try to turn the country into a desert and an earthquake site, we will plant forests.”

Dozens of members of the Qamishlo Women’s Economic Committee planted 3,800 grape, fig, mango and olive trees in Melamerze village in the east of Derik.

Meyasa Faruq, a coordinator of the Women’s Economic Committee, wished all the women a happy 8 March during the planting of trees and said that by planting these trees, they aim to increase the level of greenery in the area, so that the soul of each martyred friend will be resurrected with the blooming of each tree.

The trees were planted over an area of 120 dunams (decares) as part of the Jîyan (“Life”) project. Tree planting was expected to continue until 4 April, the birthday of Abdullah Ocalan.

13 women work in one of their projects making hand crafted and embroidered products. The project aims to involve a large number of people, especially unemployed women. Workers were trained in hand embroidery and the use of various labels. The women work with love and ethics and then sell their products in the markets.

The primary goal of the project is for women to learn this job and support themselves financially.

Let’s reflect on the great achievements of the Rojava revolution in north and east Syria in the face of great adversity: the unification of communities deliberately divided on the basis of religion and ethnicity by dictatorial states and the Islamic fundamentalist terrorist movements alike; the liberation and empowerment of women in the face of the reactionary rollbacks imposed by the later; the embryonic attempts to reorganise the economy on a cooperative and ecologically sustainable basis; and the establishment of inclusive grassroots democracy based on the democratic confederalist ideas developed by long-imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.

As the Kurdish revolutionaries readily admit, their struggle to refashion society is not an easy process but one that involves both experimentation and perseverance. There are steps forward and steps back but only to try and move forward once again.

“The revolution is made through human beings, but individuals must forge their revolutionary spirit day by day,” as Che also said.

Revolutions by their nature involve both radical transformations of social and economic structures, but also, inevitably, the transformation of individual consciousness, behaviour and habits.

“The people are the way they are because they are in the midst of a revolution,” Che once explained to international volunteer work brigades many decades ago.

Through their actions, people are forging different social relations and a different understanding of themselves and the world — thus becoming different individuals, creating a different “human nature” in the course of revolutionary struggle.

And so it is today in the Rojava revolution and therefore anyone around the world who understands that we need to radically change the way we live, and the grossly inequitable and exploitative way society is now predominantly organised if humanity is to survive with peace and dignity into even the next generation, has a real interest in learning from the revolutionary school that is that precious revolution.

But even to do that requires a struggle to break the barriers to the information flow about the Rojava revolution to the rest of the world.

North and east Syria is largely isolated from the rest of the world by economic embargoes and the closure of borders by hostile neighbouring states. Therefore, one of the first challenges for international solidarity is to break through these barriers.

If we break though this isolation there is so much we can learn from the revolution.

The people of the world can learn from the experiences of the 60 or so autonomous women’s cooperatives are now operating in NES. About half of the agricultural land is now farmed by women’s cooperatives, according to this report by Bêrîtan Sarya.

Half these cooperatives are agricultural. The women in these cooperatives are cultivating the land, building irrigation systems, etc. The other women’s cooperatives produce canned goods, run bakeries, raise livestock or work in the service sector.

Dicle Amed, a member of the coordination of the Women’s Economy Committee of Kongra Star, explained in that article:

“As a women’s movement, we are struggling to democratise the system in general, the relations between men and women in the system and in society. It is about bringing the relations between the sexes back to the basis of freedom and equality. However, and more importantly, we have the ideological approach of building an independent women’s system. Just as Kongra Star as a system organises itself autonomously and independently, all sectors should also be structured autonomously. This is what is really relevant to us as a women’s Economy Committee. Our ideological and organisational orientation aims at securing ourselves without relying too much on the general system, thus organising ourselves and guaranteeing our freedom in this way. We are trying to bring out women’s skills, to employ women, and to make them once again a productive force independent of the outside.”

This effort is radically transformative as it takes place against the backdrop of the Assad regime’s exclusion of women from the economic sector.

It took years to make an impact among women, Dicle explained:

“A job that should be done in one year can sometimes take three or four years. Both teaching and learning are organised by women, and the structure of this process is completely autonomous. One has to start from a structure in Rojava in which women were completely enclosed in their homes and used as labourers for domestic work. In this sense, the integration of women into economic life is a revolution. It is a real but invisible revolution. Before the revolution, women were not involved in economic life; at most, only a certain number of women worked in agriculture at low wages. With the revolution, tens of thousands of women began to work in economic life both in the public sector, in the service sector, in agriculture, and in the industrial sector.”

This is just one example of the rich experiences the world can learn from the Rojava revolution. We could also learn from the pioneering efforts of the “Green Braids” movement, Kesiyên Kesk, which is trying to re-green north and east Syria.

“Regional policies have damaged our environment and our ecological system,” explained Ziwar Shewo, a spokesperson and co-founder of this movement of young volunteers that was formed in October 2020. “At least five rivers in Rojava now run dry. The regime never bothered about ecology. It wanted to turn the region into a supply of wheat with no consideration for the inhabitants.”

“Twenty five years ago, there were rivers, a greater variety of plants. Now the Autonomous Administration is in charge, we have the opportunity of repairing our environment,” he explained in this must-read article in Cooperation In Mesopotamia.

“We must accept the fact it is in poor condition and that we must change this state of affairs. There are only 1.5% of green spaces in Rojava, while international recommendations are for 10% to 12%.

“The lack of a green cover means we suffer from the heat, the pollution and illnesses, that and much more. In Syria, 80% of the cancer patients come from the north and northeast. After we heard that, we decided we had to do something as members of the civilian society.

Since the Autonomous Administration and local authorities couldn’t handle it because of lack of funds, we decided to take on the project. We want all of our society to join in, by spreading the culture of tree plantings, something people don’t care about at the moment.”

This movement has mobilised young women and men to collect donated seeds and do tree planting and the results are already noticeable.

It has now spread beyond Qamishlo, where it was founded, to Heseke and Darbasiyeh. Other similar projects also exist in north and east Syria, notably the one at the Internationalist Commune, Make Rojava Green Again.

Another area we can learn from is the development of grassroots democracy at the local level. This is an area I am particularly interested in because far away here in Australia I am part of a movement that is fighting for community empowerment at the municipal level in the face of relentless efforts by the capitalist state to destroy local democracy and replace it with giant, corporatised local government institutions that serve the greedy interests of big corporations.

In a 29 March, 2022 article in ANF News, Bêrîvan Omer, the deputy co-chair of the ecological and municipal Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), described some of the progress and challenges of overcoming centralised state structures by building a system of ecological and communal autonomous local administration.

“Local self-government is a grassroots democratic model for representing all identities according to their needs,” she explained, however the transformation from a life characterised by dictatorship to an organisation characterised by participation and self-determination was a rocky process.

The ecological local self-government has 11,000 members and deals with the services in 142 local governments in AANES.

The scheme of the system was clear, but there were question marks about how it should be implemented, she explained.

“We struggled because people expected answers from us about how they should participate in this administration, how they would be represented and how they could communicate with us. It is slowly trying to achieve this system and establish it as a culture.”

The system of local administration has developed since 2012, but she admitted they still have a long way to go.

“We are still struggling to even meet our daily needs. It was not as easy to implement our system as we wished. One of the simplest examples is this: a tree is planted, a few days later it is uprooted or damaged. We have not yet created sufficient awareness and sufficient education among the population. Of course, compared to the past, the mechanisms of population education and protection have improved, but this is not enough.”

Such frankness is to be applauded, after all one of the biggest challenges in any revolution is the rebuilding of new systems of popular, grassroots democracy. History has taught us that if revolutions fail to do this they can be rolled back and defeated.

These are just some of the exciting developments and experiments in the Rojava revolution that the world can learn from. But it should be enough to convince those who not only tremble with indignation at oppression but also dream of the new world we need to build together, to commit to building solidarity with this revolution.

Peter Boyle is a well known journalist and political activist living in Sydney, Australia. He is also a correspondent of the Green Left Journal.

The Women’s Economy Committee in Hasakah, northeastern Syria, has been providing job opportunities to women by developing projects since it was established in 2015. In an interview with NuJINHA, Turkiye Sidu, a member of the committee, said that the committee is one of the most prominent organizations providing support to women with the aim of building a communal life for women and promoting women’s economic empowerment.

“Women in North and East Syria play an important role in all facets of life, especially in economy. We have developed many projects, including agricultural projects, by working in cooperation with the women’s cooperatives,” she told us.

Noting that there are many women who have to work to earn a living because they are the only breadwinners of their families, Turkiye Sidu said, “We have provided them job opportunities by developing projects. One of these projects is the sewing project. More than 30 women work in sewing workshops. We have also developed a bakery project in Shaddadi and Hasakah. At least five women running the bakeries. We also have a canned food project. There are many women running the canned food factory now.”

‘The aim is to promote women’s participation in social life’

The aim of the projects is to provide job opportunities to homeless women and their families so that they can earn a living without depending on anyone. “Another aim of the projects is to promote women’s participation in social life. When women work together, they share their experiences and get to know each other. Therefore, our main aim is to promote women’s participation in social life,” she said.

 Future projects of the committee

Speaking about the future projects of the committee, Turkiye Sidu said, “We have developed many projects and we will put these projects into practice soon. One of these projects is growing summer vegetables while the other is the carpet-cleaning workshop. We work coordinately with the councils to put our projects into practice. We hold meetings before putting our projects into practice to give information to women about the projects. Most of the women taking part in these projects are displaced women from Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî, which are under occupation of the Turkish state and its mercenaries. For this reason, we hold most of our meetings in IDPs camps.”

‘These projects are an opportunity for women’

“These projects are an opportunity for women so that they can build their own economy as well as help their families to meet their basic needs,” Turkiye Sidu said, “The committee also provides psychological and financial support to women by developing projects for them. The door of the Women’s Economy Committee is open for all women who want to earn a living.”

The Women’s Economy Committee began the wheat harvest in 2022 in the village of Teqil Beqil in Derik. The land of Teqil Beqil covers 230 hectars, with a plan to cultivate 144. There are 40 women participating in this project

Each one of them has a share of 500,000 Syrian pounds. The cooperative has been built up in two years from scratch. At the beginning there were many difficulties, but with organisation and meetings, things got better.

This year the challenges in the cooperative have again decreased because women are trusting in themselves more and the work is becoming easier. In terms of this year’s production, cooperative member Asya said, “This year there hasn’t been any surplus, and we planted less green fields for the livestock.”

And there is another crisis hitting Kurdish communities in NES; Turkey has been restricting the flow of water into an area already hit hard by climate change. As a result, in a place that relies heavily on agriculture, crops are failing, farmers are falling into debt and people are being forced to leave because of recurring drought.

But there is a ray of hope, particularly from the women of the area. A project called Water for Rojava, organised by the UK-based Solidarity Economy Association, crowd-funded £105,000 (US$127,000) in mid-2022 to assist women’s farming cooperatives re-irrigate lands suffering from drought. “We want to secure a good life for the women who will live in the village. There are 13 women running this project. Now we are digging and looking for water,” writes a spokeswoman from the Women’s Economic Committee in Derik, north-east Rojava, about a farming co-operative being assisted by the Committee.

With support from Water for Rojava, the Women’s Economic Committee has irrigated 75 hectares on a 450-hectare former state-run farm near Derik (estimated population 40,000) and 50 hectares near al-Hasakah (with a metropolitan population of over 600,000). “With water these communities can flourish again,” explains Sami Miran (we are using a pseudonym to protect his identity), who visited NES in October 2022 as part of delegation from Water for Rojava.

“Democracy without the state”

Kurdish-majority areas in northern Syria declared autonomy in 2012, during the second year of the ongoing Syrian war, in what is known as the ‘Rojava Revolution’. Building on principles from the Kurdish liberation struggle, the inhabitants of NES organise through democratic confederalism, “a social, political, and economic model of self-administration of different peoples, pioneered by women and the youth,” Kurdish academic and activist Dilar Dirik explained in ROAR magazine in 2016. “It is democracy without the state.”

In Rojava – which has an estimated population of four to five million people – political decisions are devolved to gender-balanced local councils, instead of power deferred to the nation state.

Women’s liberation and ethnic cohesion are key in Rojava. It officially changed its name from Rojava (meaning ‘West’ in Kurdish) to the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria in September 2018, to reflect the mosaic of ethnicities and religions that live in the area. Women are central to the revolution; in addition to gender parity on all levels of decision-making, there is a strong commitment to ending violence and oppression against women.

Before the 2012 revolution, the Syrian government controlled massive state-run farms, part of which is what the co-operative near Derik use. “Standing there, all you see is the land stretching to the horizon,” recalls Miran, who visited the 450-hectare farm.

The Women’s Economic Committee, one of the regional-wide organising committees in NES, supports women’s co-operatives to rejuvenate these lands. “Women do everything from digging wells and pumping the water, to building climate resilient infrastructure, such as shade in warehouses or planting climate resilient crops. Then, women transport the crops [including wheat, fruit, vegetables and lentils] to market and sell it. As they work in co-operatives, there is no boss or underling. Profits are shared,” Miran says.

Man-made drought and water wars

“Drought is being caused by Turkey, the climate crisis and the local water policies [of the Syrian state before 2012],” explains Ercan Ayboga, co-author of Revolution in Rojava and an activist within the Mesopotamian Ecology Movement.

Ayboga says that Syria under the Ba’ath Party regime (which has been led by the al-Assad family since 1971) followed a policy of industrial farming that included full-scale deforestation and digging tens of thousands of wells. However, he suggests, it is possible to reverse this situation: “With vegetation, especially forests, water remains in the nature. It does not run off.”

Miran, who grew up in the area, reflects on what life used to be like in the ‘breadbasket of the Levant’: “This rich soil once grew olives, wheat, lentils, peas, cotton, beans and chickpeas – basically anything you sowed. It fed not only Syria, but Jordan, Turkey and further afield.”

Turkey stands accused of weaponising water against the Kurds by restricting its flow into NES. The Turkish state denies this, despite evidence such as Turkey’s dam building programme flooding and destroying Kurdish cities in Turkey, for example Hasankeyf in 2020.

“Turkey using water as a weapon is unique. I do not know of another state cutting water in such a systemic way for such long periods,” says Ayboga.

The Euphrates, a river of great regional and historical importance, begins in Turkey before flowing through Syria and Iraq, and is an essential life source for both downstream states. In 1987, Turkey committed to ensure that 500 cubic metres of water per second would flow into Syria. This is approximately half of what flowed prior to the 1960s, when Turkey started building extensive dams, irrigation and hydro-electric power.

Ayboga says that between 1987 and 2012 Turkey failed to keep this agreement only once, with the filling of its Atatürk Dam in the early 1990s. However, “since 2012, Turkey has only released 200-250 cubic metres per second, especially in the spring and summer, depriving [northern Syria of] water for irrigation.”

Since 2016, Turkey and Turkish-backed militias have occupied and attacked northern Syria, including occupying the canton of Afrin, displacing over 300,000 people. The Turkish-backed groups have since faced allegations of ethnic cleansing and war crimes. These attacks are part of a longer history of oppression against the Kurds that go back to the formation of the Turkish state in 1923. Turkey defines the Kurdish liberation struggle inside of Turkey as “terrorism” and it uses the same argument to attack NES .

Health concerns

In January 2023, Euphrates flow averaged 125 cubic metres per second, according to Hammoud al-Hammadi, an administrator at the Tishrin Dam in NES, the second biggest dam in Syria, speaking to the North Press Agency.

As a result of water deprivation, hydro-electric power generation – NES’s primary source of electricity – is grinding to a halt. According to Miran, people in the area now rely on fuel-powered generators, which cause pollution and respiratory illness. “If the Euphrates flowed [efficiently] that problem would disappear overnight.”

In fact, water scarcity is causing a number of health dangers. On 10 September 2022, a cholera epidemic was declared in Syria, impacting both NES and other parts of Syria. After over a decade of war, infrastructural damage is a major problem. One of UNICEF’s primary concerns is the Alouk pumping station, now in Turkish-occupied territory. They estimate that nearly one million people in NES rely on this source for potable water. During all of 2022, UNICEF reported that for 128 days, this station failed to pump any water at all, while it only partially worked on 54 days. To prevent further cholera epidemics, UNICEF proposes a “UN-led monitoring mechanism [at Alouk] to ensure uninterrupted services, and to provide maintenance support as required, which is currently under discussion.”

The Water for Rojava delegation visited Al-Hasakah city, a hotspot for the cholera epidemic, and one of the places where women are digging wells. “Cholera levels were dropping as they treated water from tankers with chloride,” Miran explains.

“The city needs the Alouk water station, but it often pumps no water. This is the situation since October 2019, when it became controlled by the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army. Instead, locals were drawing water from the Xabûr River. This was full of sewage from Turkey.”

Ground-up and geopolitical solutions

Another way that NES is attempting to resolve the water crisis is by reversing the legacy of Syrian government policies that focused on mono-cash-crops, especially wheat and cotton for export. “There are discussions across NES also about reducing [water] usage. The Economic Committees are also encouraging [fruit] tree planting for your own needs. Organisers are planting small forests around cities,” Miran says.

Ayboga thinks Turkey will not change course unless President Recep Erdoğan loses the planned May 2023 elections: “Their current strategy is to destroy infrastructure and reduce people’s access to water and food so that people get fed up, change allegiances or leave; they think that the fewer people who live [in NES] the better.”

Turkey has defended the legitimacy of its massive dam building, irrigation and other water projects as ways to bring economic development. Yet the Turkish government also denies a litany of abuses against Kurds and its evermore hardline authoritarian policies. These include killing Kurds in Turkey, Syria and Iraq, the banning of opposition parties, attacks on women’s rights, and a clampdown against critical media.

Ayboga suggests the US and its European allies can pressure Turkey to stop withholding water: “We know the US allowed Turkey to attack [border towns] Serê Kaniyê and Tell Abyad in 2019. Yet in the last months, reports suggest that the US pressured Turkey to halt its latest invasion [deeper into northern Syria]. The US and EU want a balance of forces [in the Syrian War]. They do not want Turkey to destroy this project [NES], but they do not want it to become too strong – politically, militarily or economically – either.”

Abstract

This book looks into the anticapitalist economy and the organization of social relations in the context of the revolution and autonomy of Rojava (Kurdistan-Syria); it questions both the limitations and the historical problems of the phenomenon of Revolution as such, and the conflicts and contradictions that have emerged in this process.

The first part of this book, “the debates of the revolution and emancipation in the Kurdish struggle” consists of questions I pose correctly on contradictions of the revolution which are fuelled by a series of problematic and controversial areas on the issue of the socialist revolution, the political concepts and objectives of the traditional Left, the dominant perspectives, identity politics rooted in postmodernism, and the national struggles that are centered in the construction of the state. And the subject-matter and main question of the first chapter is why and how the Kurdish Movement, which had emerged as a Leninist party (PKK), gradually became a popular movement, and underwent this intellectual transformation towards the democratic confederalism. This intellectual and organizational transformation of the Kurdish movement and, through this self-critical transformation, the adaptation of autonomy as a new politics of emancipation are not only the historical backdrop which led to the revolution of Rojava; they also define the present of Rojava.

The second chapter underlines the common memory of resistance of the Kurds in Rojava through the oral history.

In the third chapter, titled “The autonomy of Rojava as a movement”, I analyse democratic autonomy and democratic confederalism in Rojava and North of Syria in terms of theory and practice. The main argument of this chapter is that Rojava, the communes, and popular assemblies have overcome the issue of representation and democracy, and the act of assembly has become a movement; the commune has become the everyday way of life in Rojava, and autonomy is the experience of the relations that organize life. The practices of popular organization, the creation of relations and spaces for collective decision making, and the capacity of the community to make decisions a reality are fundamental social transformations that motivate the autonomous government to deepen the autonomy by creating more autonomous practices, distancing itself from state or capitalist institutionalization.

The last part of the book, I examine the capacity of the revolution and autonomy of Rojava to transcend and destroy capitalism, by focusing on the organization of an anticapitalist economy that is expressed as a “social economy” in Rojava. The economy is one of the organizational dimensions of democratic autonomy; its goal is to socialize production and communalize property from two areas: as general (mixed) economy and as women’s economy (AboriyaJIN). From 2014, when the organization began in committees and later on through coordination, many different methods have been tried out to organize this dimension. While there are many customs and practices of the peoples in the main fields of life, spontaneous experiences arise. However, organizing a non-capitalist economy and ending capitalist relations is one of the most demanding areas for the Kurdish Movement and the autonomous government of Rojava. In the first part of the last chapter, we focus on the contradictions between the perspective and the practice of the communal economy and analyse cooperatives and affirm they are experienced not as structures of production but as something relational in Rojava.