I am privileged to speak today as the Chairperson of this historic conference, as it is indeed the first International Conference on Kurdish women and I am honored that so many incredible people have dedicated their amazing attributes to help bring about this moment. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate all the women in the world on March 8^th and wish them continuous success on the road to gender equality. I welcome each and every one of you to this conference and hope that we can achieve what we set out here to do and to each take with ourselves treasonable memories and accomplishments beyond description. To see our dreams shaped into reality, surpassing our expectations and nearing our aspirations is truly a moment of happiness for me and for all those involved in this project. The human rights movements, the women rights movement, the Kurdish rights movement, have all contributed greatly to the growth of Kurdish women and as stated in the Conference Press release Kurdish women are in an era where they are far more active and liberated than ever before. The fact that Mr. President Masoud Barzani opened this ceremony and Kurdish Regional Government financially and morally sponsored this event shows that there is substantial hope for the growth of Kurdish women. I want to sincerely thank them for giving us that hope. Through their hard work and dedication, Kurdish women are enjoying a glimpse of equality; however they still suffer, are demoralized, inhumanly attacked and violated, restricted, discriminated against, belittled and abused far more than their male counterparts and in the light of the new democratic opportunities we hope to trigger discussions and speeches that could empower these amazing women of tolerance and strength.

When Kurdish National Congress of North America and I set out on this journey we had to answer numerous questions to ourselves and we had to realize that countless times before us men and women have set aside valuable moments of their lives and with their talents and intellect spoke and discussed the matters of human rights and the issues facing those least privileged. We had to wonder to what extend will our attempt at this discussion, our assembly of distinguished scholars, artists, and politicians be more affective than theirs? How much reason do we have to believe that our efforts will make a difference in the lives of our subjects? Why did we feel the need for yet another gathering in the name of ideas and beliefs that are aspired for every day of our lives, in every corner of our mother earth? To answer such questions would have been to question the mere existence of the suffering and tragedy faced by those whom we are here to speak of and fight for. As long as suffering, injustice, inequality, violence, and physical and psychological deprivation exist there is room for more talk and more discussions and the necessity for continuous efforts by those capable, for those silenced individuals. It has been through dialogue and gatherings that change has taken shape; ideas and the exchange of them have been the catalyst for action. Should we speak? Should we discuss? Should we gather to reflect upon the problems of our people is not the question, can we truly see ourselves as leaders, representatives, and activists if we did not?

Yes, panels have been established in the past to discuss the issues that women face in Kurdistan but that does not mean just as many changes have taken place, that does not mean that we have no more room or urgency to speak of these issues again. Issues that cost this society valuable lives of incredible women on the account of ignorance and apathy, issues ranging from lack of social support and medical and mental assistance, which has led many women to horrific incidents of self mutilation and suicide, to gender inequality on a macro and micro level, honor killings, polygamy, female genital mutilation, public stoning, to issues of the lack of representation in the power force, lack of opportunity in the educational and economical arena and gender discrimination in the job market.

As a Kurd, regardless of gender, one faces difficulties beyond imagination, but to be born a Kurdish woman, despite its honor, is quite a challenging combination. To come to grips with the reality that all odds are against you and there is a rooted lack of compassion for your existence makes this reality excruciatingly painful to accept. Born to a stateless nation statistics and knowledge of a your existence is lost under the dominant state authorities who have no interest in allocating resources to your development and growth and this again is another brutal reality to come to grips with. Although this reality is somewhat different in the state borders of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, the fundamental common ground is being born to a stateless nation and that by itself creates a vast ocean of similarities in deprivations and discrimination.

The atmosphere of freedom and relative democracy in Southern Kurdistan creates space for Kurdish women and human rights activists to organize themselves and form defense groups to campaign for a better life. In the last 2 decades dozens of Kurdish women’s rights groups have emerged with remarkable strength. Kurdish women have succeeded in raising awareness about their rights and they have brought taboo issues into the pubic arena; they have made themselves heard nationally and internationally. In the Southern Kurdistan Kurdish women participate in politics and important decision making although the numbers are still very few. They bear arms along side their fellow male fighters, as well as work in the professional offices and hold high posts.

Unfortunately, this success does not apply to all the other areas of Kurdistan. Many Kurdish women are still ruled and pressured under male dominant households. Their struggle; however, is far beyond just a patriarchal system. Kurdish women are not just unequal to the males in their society, but they are also not equal to other residing females of the state they are ruled under. In Iran, Turkey and Syria, even if a Kurdish woman can step out of the norms of the society and receive a university education, they are rarely, if ever, permitted to work along side the other women of the dominant race. This creates a highly suffocating atmosphere for Kurdish women who are trying to break the chains of political, social, and economical restrictions.

Another major factor in the struggle of the Kurdish women is the role of religion that has rooted itself in the Kurdish culture. Although the Kurds do not necessarily consider themselves highly religious, Islam, the predominant religion, has influenced their lifestyles. Therefore, Kurdish women have yet another obstacle before them that they are struggling to overcome in order to step out of the roles that are strictly imposed on them. In the course of the struggle for democracy in Kurdistan, the heroic and historic role of Kurdish women has been that of devotion, strong defense of human rights and legendary sacrifices. Despite such faithfulness in the struggle for justice and perseverance in their demand for gender equality, the plight of the Kurdish Women remains one that has gone unnoticed, unanswered and unrecognized by the continuously male dominated society of the region and by the world at large.

Our goal is to create an event where men will be engaged in addressing the most challenging issues facing women today in Kurdish society, in the hopes of moving closer to the goal of ensuring the rights and equality to which women are justly entitled. The most important and fundamental improvement we seek for Kurdish women is that their rights become laws: discussed, passed, and implemented in Kurdistan to ensure their safety and growth.

I would like to name some of the organizations who have contributed to this conference:

Finally, the usual disclaimer is proper here. Even though the editorial board has reviewed the papers, the views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily the opinions of all the members of the Kurdish National Congress.

I thank you again for your presence, at this conference. Your attendance adds great value and honor to our discussions and to the objectives of this Conference.

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