Sue Finch and Liz Khan report back on their workshop from the XVIth Women in Black international conference in Bangalore, India :

Women in Black London facilitated workshops at the international conference on feminist approaches to ban nuclear weapons, and on Wars Against Women: Feminist Alternatives to Military Action by eg Daesh/Islamic State. This workshop emerged from a discussion when one of the Women in Black in London who had been working closely with Kurdish women from Rojava (www.Rojwomen.org) wanted to invite them to their vigil. A local decision was made that WiB London was unable to invite Rojava women, who have armed units in Syria and Iraq, because WiB is an anti-militarist network – but this raised wider questions about feminist alternatives to militarism that we wanted to explore further at the international conference.

The Kurdish Women’s Movement, developed over the last two decades as part of the Kurdish national liberation struggle, pushed women’s voices to the forefront in defending women against oppression and discrimination. 40 million Kurdish people were split between Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey when the borders between them were drawn at the end of the First World War, and have remained an oppressed minority in each country. Kurdish women played a key role in holding back Daesh at Kobane, for example, in the semi-autonomous North East province of Syria – Rojava.

The social contract in Rojava (the region’s constitutional document) ‘guarantees equality . . . in all walks of public and private life’ with a legally binding co-chairing system in political and social bodies – one woman and one man. The Kurdish People’s Protection Units in Rojava include women-only units who have been at the forefront of rescuing Yezidi and other minority women who have been captured and enslaved by Daesh.

A majority of the Yezidi women kidnapped by Daesh remain captive, enduring rape, forced marriage and violent abuse. Islamic State/Daesh now controls huge swathes of Syria and Iraq, and treats women as war bounty – to rape, murder, sell or force into marriage. Women in those areas are not allowed to go to school, work, or go out without a male relative.

The workshop brought together Women in Black from around the world to look at these complex issues. Everyone taking part in the workshop agreed that we need to look at the root causes – borders drawn on a map by European powers (for example, around Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Iran, Turkey . . ) have created unstable regions and oppressed peoples. Daesh grew out of US/NATO military action in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan – and was armed by the Western powers. They are just one of many fundamentalist armies responding to economic and globalisation policies that are the roots of violence.

Women at the workshop did not see violence as the solution, but felt it is not up to us to judge women – like the Kurdish fighters – who take up arms to defend themselves and other women. Would we do any differently if we faced armed men who wanted to rape and kill us, or our families?

All at the workshop agreed that Women in Black, as an anti-militarist movement, can support the struggle of the Kurdish women by sharing information, educating ourselves and others about their struggle, ensuring visibility, and showing solidarity. For example, when refugees from violence have made choices to find safe places to live in other countries, we have a responsibility to make sure this is possible in a dignified way, without any discrimination.

It was felt by many of the women in the workshop that Women in Black could support the cause of the Kurdish women, for example, without always agreeing with the means of resistance. Women in Black are against organised state violence – that’s where it begins, and where violence needs to end.

Facilitators : Sue Finch and Liz Kahn