Page 15 - C.A.L.L. #45 - Summer 2019
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by the group to be used as sex slaves.
The message here is deeply political. In
In response to this wave of brutality, many addition to arguing for a greater role for
Kurdish women took up arms to fight the women in society, Jinwar also promotes
extremist group. The story of these women ecological and communal living as an
facing off against a murderous cult that alternative to modern life.
aimed to enslave them captured the
attention of the world. But Jinwar is also something much simpler:
it is a refuge for women in need of support
The founders of Jinwar see their project
as a continuation of the “women’s –particularly those who have lost loved
revolution” that led those women to leave ones in war.
Amira Muhammad, 33, is one of a number
of widows who have made Jinwar home.
Her husband was killed fighting Isis more
than a year ago. She was forced to move
back in with her parents and became
entirely dependent on them.
“I came here because I have five kids and
I didn’t have an income or a house to live
in,” she says. “Here they provide a lot of
Amira Muhammad lives with her five benefits like education for the kids, their
children in Jinwar living expenses. It is a nice village, most
their families and go to war. But while the importantly, my kids like it.”
world may know the Kurds through images
of women fighting on the frontline, Kurdish “We do our own farming, we plant trees.
society is still deeply conservative. Jinwar Every woman farms her own lot for her
was built as a place for women to escape kids. We sell the harvest, and use the
the family-orientated roles that a revenue to support our expenses,” she
patriarchal society has assigned to them. adds.
Gavary is one of them. She married when
she was young, but her husband died not The residents of Jinwar are kept busy by
long after. the work required to be self-sustainable.
The group take turns cooking and eat all
“Without women there is no freedom,” she their meals together in a large communal
says, repeating a mantra that is written on kitchen. There are animals to tend to and a
the walls in Jinwar. “Until women educate school for the children.
and empower themselves, there won’t be
freedom.”
