French and Kurdish civil society organisations in Paris are organising a conference to take place on 7 January 2014 in memory of the 3 Kurdish women revolutionaries, PKK founder member Sakine Cansız (Sara), KNK Paris Representative Fidan Doğan (Rojbin) and youth movement member Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahi) who were murdered in Paris on 9 January 2013.

The conference, on the subject of "The Slaughter of Women" is being organised by the International Foundation of Free Women, the International Representation of the Kurdish Women's Movement, the France-Kurdistan Solidarity Association, which incorporates many associations, and the French Women's Organisation, Femmes Solidaires.

The conference has the title of "Taking action to oppose the killing of women in order to end the slaughter of women" is to be held under the auspices of the President of the Left Front (Front de Gauche) in the Senate, Eliane Assassi.

A statement issued by the organisers said they would hold a vigil for their friends Sakine, Fidan and Leyla on the anniversary of their murder.

The statement continued: "All three were Kurds and feminists. The slaughter of women is a global phenomenon. It signifies the physical, psychological, economic and social violence that threatens the lives, health and rights of billions of women. The slaughter of women concerns all societies. Whatever their ages, ethnic identities, religions or cultures, all women are affected by these forms of violence. And those responsible are rarely dealt with".

Then organisers added that the perpetrators of this violence are never tried and take advantage of this failure to punish them, recalling the massacre of 9 January in Paris, saying: "Those behind this slaughter of women have yet to be exposed."

The organisers added that the conference to be held on 7 January would be to commemorate the three women who were from different generations of the Kurdish women's struggle. They stressed the threat posed by these murders to women revolutionaries, adding: "Sakine, Fidan and Leyla, played an important role in the development of the women's freedom struggle in both the social and the political spheres. We, women living in Europe, are holding this conference in order to wage a struggle against all forms of violence against women and the high level of violence against women which is nothing less than the slaughter of women."

Conference programme

The conference will take place between 9 am and 6 pm in the Monerville Hall at "15, rue de Vaugirard 75006 Paris". After introductory comments by Eliane Assassi a session entitled "The new face of the slaughter of women - the new target: women in struggle" will begin.

This first session from 10.00-12.30 will be chaired by Soad Babbaissa.

Gönül Kaya, from the International Representation of the Kurdish Women's Movement, will make a presentation on the history and concept of the slaughter of women. This will be followed by an assessment of the slaughter of women and women's organisation in West Kurdistan by the Co-chair of the West Kurdistan People's Assemblies, Sinem Muhammed.

The subject of political murders in France and the reaction of popular movements and politicians to the murders of 9 January will be addressed by the President of the France-Kurdistan Solidarity Association, Sylvie Jan. Another speaker will be lawyer Virginie Dusen, who will present the legal viewpoint regarding political murders awaiting resolution.

Between 11.20 and 11.40 the attitude of the media towards the murders of 9 January 2013 will be evaluated by Le Monde journalist Florence Aubenas, although she has yet to confirm her attendance at the conference. The first session will close with questions and discussion.

From 2 pm until 2.15 in the afternoon the families of Sakine, Fidan and Leyla will be guests of honour at the conference. This will be followed by the showing of film footage.

In the second session the subject of "Strategies and modes of struggle against the slaughter of women" will be addressed. Nursel Kılıç will chair this session. Femmes Solidaire President Sabine Salmon will make a presentation on "The strategies of women's organisations and civil society organisations in France in the struggle against the slaughter of women"

Iranian writer Chahla Chafiq (Shahla Shafik) will assess the reality of the stoning of women and execution in the 21st century, and the situation of women in Iran.

Aicha Dabale will share the experiences of the women of Djibouti in struggle against the slaughter of women, and between 3.50 and 4.10 Canan Polat, from the International Foundation of Free Women, will make the final presentation on the subject of: "Strategies of struggle, goals and joint initiatives for the recognition of the slaughter of women as a crime against humanity.” This will be followed by questions and discussion until 5.10 pm.

After the conference final report is read out the conference will end at 6 pm.