Women's Committee: Backbone of the Revolution(Rojava Excerpt)

Neighbor Democracy

*This is the audio version of a video originally made for Youtube: https://youtu.be/r8i4RAxLB-o* An excerpt from my previous video The Communes of Rojava: A Model In Societal Self-Direction (https://youtu.be/cDnenjIdnnE). This is the final excerpt I'll be releasing from this series, but be sure to go back to the original video and watch the call to action at the end. Where is the forefront of women's struggle for freedom? This question guided the creation of this video. The Middle East, and the Euphrates region particularly, has a long tradition of women's resistance against patriarchy that is often overlooked in the "Western world". Women were the first to tame plants, bringing on the agricultural revolution, and the advent of many rich cultures in settled society. In the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (Rojava), women are reclaiming that legacy and cultural knowledge, telling these washed-over stories, and building a free life, refusing to wait for after the revolution to address their needs. Not only have the women of Rojava made remarkable strides in the struggle for freedom, I would argue that their movement, articulated through "Jineologî" (the science of women and free life) and their own self-organized structures, represents the most successful and far-reaching mass societal women's movement to date. For those of us struggling against patriarchy around the world today, we have so much to learn from the women of Rojava. If you've seen previous excerpts from my Communes of Rojava video, feel free to skip to 2:19 to get past the introduction. I. A Short Introduction to the Commune System: 0:00-2:18 II. Women's Committee: Backbone of the Revolution (the main presentation): 2:19-10:56