Beritan Canözer/JINHA

AMED – In the border city of Nisêbîn, where the fourth international action of the World March of Women will begin, women of the Gülşilav Women's Center are preparing for the influx of women. The women of the city—called Nisêbîn in Kurdish, Nusaybin in Turkish—are preparing for hundreds of visitors.

The World March of Women, first held in 2000, marches across borders around the world to bring women's demands to light. On March 6, women will start their march with a border action in Nusaybin. The march will reach its end on October 17, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, in Lisbon. This year the action's main themes are the exploitation and commodification of nature; the exploitation of income and labor; control over women's bodies and lives; militarization, criminalization and violence.

Gülşilav Women's Center worker Meryemİbrahimoğlucalls the preparations "exciting and fun." She says technical preparations for the influx of women marchers are ready. The center is now preparing a stand to sell local women's handicrafts.The stand will not only display women's work, but will also raise funds for the reconstruction of Kobanê.

"The fact that this march, which takes place every five years, is happening here in Nusaybin brings its own excitement and meaning," said Meryem, especially in the context of the situation in Kobanê.

The march program begins on Friday March 6 with panels and forums from 9 to 11 a.m. on democratic confederalism and the women-led Rojava revolution, as well as ecology and exploitation of nature. From 1 to 6 p.m., panels and forums will continue with discussions of Jineoloji (the study of women) and women's work and violence against women. The day will end with music by MizginTahir at 6 p.m.

On March 7, activities will start with a border meeting action starting at 9 a.m., where women will come together with their counterparts from the Rojava canton of Cizîrê. After the action, women will go to Mardin for a march at 4:30 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. dance and musical performance.

Meryem described the importance of women's organizing. "Every blow to a woman, every time a man raises his voice against a woman, it's done to all women. That’s why our goal here when we started was not just to liberate some women, but all women." Referencing the famous slogan of Kurdish women, she continued: "To say no to violence against women, rape and exploitation, let's take to the squares saying 'jin, jîyan, azadî."

(rk/fk/cm)