By Khadija Askandir
Since ancient times, women have played a significant role in all fields around the world, especially in Kurdistan. Our women have played a major role in religion, politics, education and culture. They have always played a role alongside men, even in many areas, in the development of society and the family. Therefore, Kurdish women have played a brilliant role in every period of history. No period of history has passed without the role of women in the field of social and political work. There are a number of prominent women in history whose names are in the prominent pages of history and whose roles are prominent and worthy of discussion around the world.
It is worth mentioning that these women, whose names are prominent in history, in addition to social work and education, also paid attention to politics and struggle. On the contrary, women who were prominent in politics also paid attention to education, culture and society. This indicates that they believed that they would not succeed in politics without social and cultural progress. Here is mentioning some of the Kurdish women in both political and social fields.
Nahidah Sheikh Salam, Although she was a political woman, she encouraged women to go to school and pay attention to literacy and culture.
Hapsa Khan is a political woman, but she gives one of her houses to the Sulaimani Education Department to be turned into a school.
When Khanzad Mir Soran took over the tribal power, she opened several schools and rooms(Hujrah).
When Mina Khanum Qazi was involved in political struggle with her female friends, she also paid attention to social and cultural struggle. All these and many others are great examples of women in history.
It is true that women did not play an immediate role or just an armed role, but they have always played an active role in the field of food, wound care and assistance at home and abroad. They participated in the Kurdish nation’s liberation struggle. Raising children was a great support for Kurdish struggles and revolutions.
Although due to the common tradition of ancient times, few men acknowledged the greatness and role of women, but there were still few men who acknowledged the role of women. For instance The poet (Bekas) says in a poem:-
“Nasrin, I’ve been worried about you for a long time
The prisoner of your life is oppression
That’s what I’m telling you, because it’s on me.
Get up and struggle until your blood is hot. Throw away the veil what a shameful deadline”
So there were also intellectual and freedom-loving men who encouraged women to come out of the home, and the struggle of women continues throughout history.
Here we tried to rewrite the names of some of the women who participated in the revolutions, in the hope that in the future it will become one of the sources that have paid attention to the role of women in history.
• Hapsa Khani Naqib
• Leila Qasim
• Naima Mustafa
• Aishagul
• Nahidah Sheikh Salam
• Adila Khanum
• Khanzadi Mir Soran
• Daya Gula
• Khaja Bawa
• Leila Zana
• Khadija Mustafa
Regarding the role of women, Plutarch, a Greco-Roman historian, says: “The local people of North and West Kurdistan defended themselves against the Roman invading forces in the first century BC. He emphasized the presence of women fighters, women who had been trained to use weapons and were ready for war.
He also wrote: The wife of Mithridates, the Kurdish king of Pontus, wore a traditional colorful Kurdish dress. He made an unprecedented display of military heroism to defend the besieged Pontian state from the Roman general Pompey.