The Shengal Women's Units (Yekîtiyên Jinên Şengalê, YJŞ) were founded five years ago. The YJŞ Command has issued a statement on the founding anniversary, dedicating the day to "our mothers and daughters, our people, and most importantly, Abdullah Öcalan".

Drawing attention to the role of the Free Women's Troops (YJA STAR) and the Women's Defense Units (YPJ) in the liberation of Shengal (Sinjar), the YJŞ said:

“We extend our sincerest love, greetings and respect to the YJA STAR and the YPJ, who enabled us to liberate our women, mothers and society and, most importantly, to reclaim our will and identity, which is the source of our organization. As Shengal women, we will not forget the efforts they made for our society and the YPJ will always be a source of strength for us. On this basis, we commemorate all our martyred comrades in the person of Gülçin, Nûjiyan, Ezda, Berivan, Arin and Viyan.”

SURVIVAL THANKS TO ORGANIZATION

The statement continued: "As is known, the history of Yazidism dates back to ancient times. The sacred lands of Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilizations, have been a witness to this culture and belief. It is a noble belief, morality and culture originating from the Neolithic Age. It is based on Woman-Mother values, solidarity, loyalty, love, patriotism, morality, respect, courage, equality and justice. In the Yazidi history, Yazidi women have been mentioned in many respects.The history of Yazidi women is full of well-known women such as Xatuna Feyra, Meyan Xatun, Fatê, Zero Mother, Stiya Zin. Yazidi women regard Xatuna Feyra as sacred. There are women who sacrificed themselves for their faith. This is the reality of the truth. However, the ruling powers have never accepted this culture and belief and they have committed massacres against our people. These massacres had great impacts on our Yazidi people.

When ISIS gangs, the enemy of humanity, attacked our people on 3 August 2014, we witnessed betrayal once again. In those difficult days, no one thought that our society could get rid of this brutal enemy. As Yazidi women, we organized under YPJ Shengal and fought by adopting the struggle culture of Yazidi women. We grew more and more. Surely this was not easy. Because the enemy has tried to distance our young people from their culture for years through capitalist modernity policies. This system was especially directed at our women and girls. Our society has suffered greatly, it has become impoverished. Therefore, great effort was required to realize the degree of massacre and to resist it.

ORGANIZATION WITH ÖCALAN’S IDEAS

Through the struggle that the YJA-Star and the YPJ have provided for us and through the philosophy of Abdullah Öcalan, the resistant spirit of Yazidi women has emerged once again. With this philosophy and resistance, we have gained will, belief, identity, power, organization and persistence. Those difficulties have turned into a great fighting force. Indeed, organization was as much a need for us as bread and water. Because being unorganized on these lands means extinction. The fact that we as YJŞ resist against any form of attack, propaganda and the pressure of the enemy, we owe to Rêber Apo (Leader Öcalan) and our martyrs. Therefore, we are ready to do whatever is necessary for Rêber Apo's freedom, because we organized ourselves with his ideas in the hardest times.

Today, women, mothers and daughters are getting united and organized around the defense forces. For us, this is a very important and significant stage of development. This is an important and meaningful stage for us. We will raise the struggle more than ever in order to lead this stage to the freedom of Leader Apo and a free society. Our promise to Leader Apo, the architect of our existence, and the heroic martyrs will be made on this basis. Once again, we remember all our martyrs with respect, and we bow to their struggles and memories with respect.”