A series of events are being held in the Yazidi town of Shengal (Sinjar) in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) to mark November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The Shengal Jineology Academy organized a seminar on combating violence against women perpetrated by men and those in power.
The seminar was held at the Digûr People’s Assembly for men working in the Shengal Autonomous Administration and its affiliated institutions.
Sara Botan, a member of the Jineology Academy, stated that violence against women and children is essentially directed against the whole society, saying, “Women had a fundamental and special role in the history of Yazidism. They also had decision-making power. Today, other cultures have an influence on our society. When we talk about violence, men only understand physical violence. Many of our male friends say that women are not subjected to violence. This may not be the case in some homes, but it may exist in society. We are looking at the overall picture that emerges in society. Women’s rights and will have been taken away from them.”
Remarking that there would be no society without women’s will, Sara Botan continued: “Women are the foundation of society. Women were the main targets of the genocidal onslaught; they suffered and were subjected to oppression the most. If women have no decision-making power in a place, that society is headed for extinction. The culture of violence against women and children also encompasses men and is applied to them as well. This violence is both physical and mental. Both women and society as a whole are facing immense violence. Unless we fix ourselves, we cannot fix our surroundings. Those who will fight this are those who educate themselves with the ideas and philosophy of the Leader (Abdullah Öcalan). What we mean with ‘kill the man,’ is the elimination of the mindset.”