Bêrîtan Canözer / JINHA

MÊRDÎN – Women in Nisêbîn, the border town where the World March of Women's international march for women's rights will start on March 6, have completed their preparations to host the hundreds of women converging on the town for the vent.

The World March of Women began a series of international actions in 2000, of which this march will be the fourth. The march is starting in Nisêbîn (Nusaybin in Turkish), just across the border from the Rojavan city of Qamişlo, to honor the women's revolution in Rojava.The women of Nisêbîn, a city of 84,000 in the province of Mêrdîn, are preparing to host guests in their homes.

"Even if we speak different languages, we'll understand each other through our smiles," said Sultan Ayhan, a Nisêbîn woman preparing to open her home to the international guests. "As mothers, we want to do what we can to show our hospitality and acquaint the guests coming here with our culture."

Müzeyyen Alp says the women plan to share their stories and struggles as Kurdish women. She says their shared desire to protect women's right to life will bring the women of Nisêbîn together with their guests.

"We were thrilled to hear that the World March of Women would start in Nisêbîn," said Hafife Yıldırim, who described Nisêbînas a women's city. "We want women around the world to be united. The women of the world are welcome. We'll share whatever we have with them."

Perihan Altuğ says the doors of Nisêbîn'swomen are open. As residents of Kurdistan, where Daesh gangs have abducted thousands of Êzîdî women, and of Turkey, where murders of women have risen since the AKP has come into power, she says it's meaningful to them that women from around the world are converging on Nisêbîn.

"We'll protect ourselves from the state as well as from men," she said. She explained that the women of Kurdistan had experienced an awakening driven by the woman-centered philosophy of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

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