The ninth version of Sakine Cansız Women’s Festival has started in Zurich city of Switzerland. The festival is dedicated to PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) founding member Sakine Cansız, KNK (Kurdistan National Congress) Paris representative Fidan Doğan and Kurdish Youth Movement member Leyla Şaylemez who were murdered in the French capital Paris on 9 January 2013.

This year’s festival is held under the motto “Resist, Organize, Live Freely” (Li ber xwe bide! Xwe bi rêxistin bike! Azad bijî!).

The festival taking place in Kasernereal began with a panel on “women and war”, after which a minute of silence was observed for Sakine Cansız and all the martyrs of the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle.

After the organising committee, which includes 28 women’s institutions, greeted the participants, Zozan Serhat, in the name of the Kurdish Women’s Movement in Switzerland (YJK-S), made the opening speech.

Serhat highlighted the importance of the festival, saying, “Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şeylemez were murdered by the Turkish state in the heart of Europe. Today, the occupying Turkish state is carrying out a violent attack on the freedom guerrillas in Zap and Avashin. Let us not forget that we would not be able to hold a festival here if Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) and the guerrillas did not fight.”

Singer Berfin Demir took the stage afterwards, accompanied by women dancing to her songs. The festival continues with the performances of folklore groups.