March 8 has become a day of profound significance thanks to the historic resistance and sacrifices of women. On this day, the courageous voices of women echo across horizons, and with the cry of women’s freedom, societies have once again found an opportunity for life. This day carries within it the long experience of women—not only that of the workers in New York, but also the legacy of the “goddess woman” who struggled on the slopes of the Zagros Mountains and Taurus Mountains and across the fertile land of Mesopotamia. Women’s struggle against the deadly patriarchal system has continued throughout every era as a battle for existence, and today women continue their unwavering struggle for the dignity of humanity.
In the name of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we congratulate all women around the world on March 8, International Working Women’s Day—a day to raise the voice of freedom. From the heart of this sacred land, from within the flames of the peoples’ freedom, and among the flowers watered by the blood of martyrs, we say: there is no life without women’s freedom. The thought and philosophy of Abdullah Öcalan restored meaning to women’s lives. The architect of the philosophy of “Woman, Life, Freedom” has become for us the foundation of a new life, and the struggle based on the ideology of women’s liberation has ensured our path to success.
Today, thousands of women fighters of the Rojava Revolution breathe with the faith of the Apoist ideology in the trenches of struggle. The life that the dominant male mentality once tried to erase is now being rebuilt by the hands of heroic women, and the source of our strength remains Leader Öcalan. Despite the conditions of severe isolation imposed upon him, the leader has never left women alone, and we remain committed to him with the same loyalty. Therefore, the freedom of the leader is a guarantee for the freedom of all women and society.
For years, our regions have been subjected to some of the darkest practices of this era by the dominant and oppressive system. At times under the name of the terrorist organization Islamic State, and at other times under different names, they have attempted to threaten our revolution and deny our achievements. Yet we did not bow to the darkness and terrorism of ISIS, and we will not bow in the future to terrorism disguised under other names. We have placed our existence and our lives on the frontlines to protect our homeland, and we will continue to struggle for these values until the end. Whatever the cost, we have chosen death with dignity rather than a life without meaning. As the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we affirm that we will always remain at the forefront of defending our social values.
From the military field to the social sphere, and from politics to culture, women are engaged in struggle in every aspect of life. The women of Rojava have written a new destiny for all women, carrying the legacy of women fighters across the world. On this blessed day, we remember with deep reverence all the women martyrs of the cause of freedom, including the martyrs: Deniz, Sidar, Shilan, Siyajin, Arîn, and Jiyajin. Our martyrs planted the seeds of freedom in our homeland, and we will always follow in their footsteps through the resistance and struggle for a free and equal life.
We call upon all women of the world—young women, mothers, artists, workers, revolutionaries, and activists—to unite their voices like a mighty river so that the sea of freedom may grow vast and boundless. Occupiers can never stand against the waves of freedom. Women’s resistance is a poem that embodies hope and the meaning of life. “Woman, Life, Freedom” is not merely a slogan; it is the key and equation for the liberation of society as a whole.
Long live women’s resistance and struggle!
Long live women’s freedom!
Happy March 8!
General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ)
8 March 2026
