Thousands of Kurdish women and women from across the world celebrated the 18th Zîlan Festival in Duisburg, Germany on 15 June 2024, organised by the local Kurdish women’s movement, with the motto “We march to the women’s revolution with Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Woman, Life, Freedom).”
The festival programme included speeches, music and dance performances and special workshops for children. It was accompanied by food stalls serving traditional Kurdish food and various organisations presenting their work and offering a variety of Kurdish clothing and garments, and books about the Kurdish and other revolutionary struggles.
Hêza Şengalî, a commander in the Şengal (Sinjar) Womens’ Units (YJŞ), made a speech offering special thanks to the guerilla fighters of the Peoples’ Defence Forces (HPG) and the Free Womens’ Units (YJA Star), stating that it was they who had defended the Yazidi people of Şengal against ISIS attacks in 2014. “As a result of the resistance and the fight for Şengal, the city built its own self defence units, the Şengal Women’s Units or YJŞ. Today, it is these units and the Şengal Resistance Units (YBŞ) that protect Şengal,” she said.
There were also performances by women from Afghanistan and South America, who presented the richness of their cultures and declared their solidarity with the Kurdish women’s struggle.
Last year’s festival was dedicated to Kurdish revolutionary Emine Kara (Evîn Goyî), who was murdered in an armed attack in Paris in December 2022.
