Uyghur women are the most severely affected by China’s genocidal policies, yet they are also the bravest heroines in resisting this persecution and in the fight to prove and publicize the genocide to the world. On International Women’s Day, we extend our wishes for their freedom and success.
Today, March 8th, is International Women’s Day. However, Uyghur women continue to pay the heaviest price simply for being Uyghurs, due to the systematic genocide policies imposed by the Chinese government in East Turkistan.
Hundreds of thousands of Uyghur women in East Turkistan are subjected to physical and psychological torture in concentration camps. While these women are forced to undergo ideological training, they also suffer inhumane treatment, including beatings, sexual assault, and various forms of torture. The testimonies and documents from the women who survived the camps reveal the extent and systematic nature of the brutality.
The persecution of Uyghur women is not limited to concentration camps. Many women are forced to work in Chinese factories. Under China’s so-called employment policies, Uyghur women are subjected to forced labor with low wages and harsh working conditions. Separated from their families, these women live under conditions of modern-day slavery, enduring both physical and psychological pressures.
Uyghur mothers are torn from their children, and women are separated from their husbands, living lives filled with deep longing and pain. The children of women taken to concentration camps are placed in state-controlled orphanages by the Chinese authorities. These children are subjected to forced assimilation, being stripped of their Uyghur culture and language.
The heaviest burden of the persecution in East Turkistan falls on women in every aspect of life. Enlightened and educated women have become primary targets of China’s genocidal policies. Uyghur academic Rahile Dawut, who has no political activity other than her academic research and contributions to Uyghur culture, was sentenced to life imprisonment for studying the Uyghur language and culture. This is not an isolated case; thousands of intellectual women like her are imprisoned by China’s oppressive regime.
Uyghur women are not only the ones who bear the heaviest burden for being Uyghurs, but they also lead the strongest resistance against China’s state terrorism and make the greatest effort to prove and publicize the genocide to the international community.
Throughout history, the role of women in the Uyghur struggle has always been special and significant. On July 5th, 2009, during the massacre in Urumqi in which hundreds of Uyghurs lost their lives, the image of a Uyghur woman standing firm in front of an armored vehicle with a cane in her hand, and a girl in a blue t-shirt trying to stop Chinese soldiers, became symbols of the courage of Uyghur women resisting persecution.
Women survivors of torture, such as Mihrigul Tursun, Gülbahar Jelilova, Sayragül Sauytbay, Tursunay Ziyawudun, and Zumret Dawut, who were once held in concentration camps in East Turkistan and rescued through diplomatic efforts, showed immense courage in sharing their horrific experiences of torture and inhuman treatment with the world. Their testimonies have played a critical role in proving and publicizing the Uyghur genocide.
The role of female activists in bringing the Uyghur cause to the international stage is vital and cannot be overlooked. With their courage and determination, Uyghur women are waging an incredible battle to tell the truth to the world about China’s systematic repression and genocide policies.
Women like Rabia Kadir, former chair of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), Rushan Abbas, chair of the Campaign for Uyghurs and Executive Committee of the WUC, Zumretay, WUC vice-chair, Medine Nazimi and Melike Mahmut from the Platform of Concentration Camp Victims, who are fighting for justice for their families and loved ones against China, as well as brave activists like Meryem Sultan, Rabigul Hajimuhammet, and Dilnur Reyhan, are working with unwavering resolve to raise awareness and publicize the Uyghur genocide.
Additionally, Jewher Ilham, the daughter of Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti, who was unjustly sentenced to life imprisonment, is working with immense courage and sacrifice to expose the injustice suffered by her father and the oppression faced by the Uyghur people. Jawhar Ilham’s voice is crucial not only for her father’s freedom but also for the Uyghur people’s struggle for justice and human rights.
On this meaningful day, we wish freedom to all Uyghur women subjected to China’s genocidal policies, the opportunity to reunite with their families, spouses, and children, and to live joyful lives with them. We sincerely congratulate all Uyghur women who stand strong against oppression and who continue their quest for freedom and rights. We bow in respect to their courage, resilience, and struggle. Their fight will remain the loudest voice of the Uyghur people’s search for freedom and justice.
Enver Can, founding chairman of the Ilham Tohti Initiative, expresses his congratulations to Uyghur women on International Women’s Day with the following statement:
“The role of women in society is very special and important: They are the foundation of the family, nation, society, and even humanity. Uyghur women have played a pivotal role in our history and have been at the forefront of resistance against Chinese oppression. The best example of this is Iparhan, who fought against the Chinese Emperor Chenlung at the cost of her life.
This heroineism of Uyghur women continues today. We personally witnessed examples of this during the Urumqi massacre. Rabia Kadir, despite her children and grandchildren being held hostage by China, led our national movement in the diaspora for more than ten years and became known as the ‘Mother of Uyghurs.’
Indeed, our women, victims of the camps, have been at the forefront of bringing our cause to the world public with immense devotion and courage.
On this occasion, I congratulate all Uyghur women on March 8th, especially those who sacrificed for the sake of the homeland and nation, as well as those in prison—mothers, wives, and sisters!”
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