Thread by @_____mjb, You've likely seen these iconic images of women celebrating the liberation of [...]

You've likely seen these iconic images of women celebrating the liberation of #Manbij, four years ago today.

What you may not know is how women in the diverse city have become leaders in their communities since then— in ways that would have been unimaginable under ISIS.

Women began to join the Manbij Military Council, established in early 2016, during the operation to liberate the city.

Commander Xaliya Nîmet said about 150 women had joined the MMC by the end of the operation.
https://en.hawarnews.org/150-women-from-minbic-join-military-council-of-minbic-to-fight-isis/

In February 2017, the first women's military academy there, the Martyr Roxan Academy, was established. 30 fighters, mostly young Arab women, joined its first training course.
https://www.hawarnews.org/archives/186886

Here's a video of a typical day there.

Many of the women who joined the Manbij Military Council had suffered greatly under ISIS.

Here are a few of their stories:

http://manbijmc.org/archives/6773
http://manbijmc.org/archives/4767

Civil society organizing took place alongside the creation of military institutions.

Yekitiya Star was first active in Manbij as far back as 2013, opening a Women's Knowledge and Education Center in March of that year. ISIS destroyed all of this. https://anfkurdi.com/jin/jinen-rojava-xebaten-xwe-berfireh-dikin-13574

Jinên Rojava xebatên xwe berfireh dikin

Li bajarê Mincibê di encama xebatên Yekîtiya Star de Navenda Perwerde û Zanistê ya Jinê, bi tevlîbûna sedan jinan hate vekirin. Li bajarê Reqa ku di navbera hêzên rejîmê û Artêşa Azad de pevçûn did...

https://anfkurdi.com/jin/jinen-rojava-xebaten-xwe-berfireh-dikin-13574

The first women's institution to open in the city after its 2016 liberation was a mala jin, or women's house.

These institutions protect survivors of gender-based violence and resolve domestic disputes before they get to that point. https://www.hawarnews.org/archives/166131

As of 2019, women's houses in Manbij had resolved thousands of cases, with only a few hundred cases escalated to the legal system.
https://ar.kongra-star.org/2019/09/02/4365/

Here's an account of one house working with a family to stop a forced marriage in early 2017: https://www.hawarnews.org/archives/179385

3350شكوى في دار المرأة بمنبج وعضوات الدار يتعهدن بإستمرار التقدم في العمل - كونغرا ستار

اكدت أمينة نعسان الجراح وإيمان الحمشو من دار المرأة, أن نسبة تحرر النساء في خط الفارات افضل من باقي القرى والنواحي, نظراً لإختلاف العادات من مكان ومكون لآخر, وتم تقديم 3350قضية منها ما حُل ومنها ما...

https://ar.kongra-star.org/2019/09/02/4365/

The region-wide Women's Council in Manbij was established in March 2017.
https://www.hawarnews.org/archives/194253

The council is active to this day, working on a wide variety of issues affecting women.

Some of their recent activities include condemnations of increased domestic violence rates under COVID-19 lockdowns and free literacy courses.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3042260252463118&id=2035214323167721

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2908459245843220&id=2035214323167721

Later in 2017, a Women's Economy Center was opened in Manbij. https://en.hawarnews.org/womens-economy-centre-opens-in-manbij/

The first women's cooperative in the area was established in September 2017, with support from the People's Municipality and the Economy Committee.

10 women worked there, growing and preparing vegetables and other food products.

https://hawarnews.org/ku/yekemin-koperatifa-jinen-minbice-dest-bi-xebate-kir/

https://hawarnews.org/ku/koperatifa-beyt-el-bereke-li-minbice-amadekariya-zimhera-zivistane-dike/

The first Jineoloji Center in Manbij was opened there in 2018.

Leaders of the Military Council, including its male commanders, attended the opening ceremony.

http://manbijmc.org/archives/2227

https://hawarnews.org/ku/navenda-lekolinen-jineoloji-li-minbice-vebu/

Despite all these advances, conservative local customs mean that some of the landmark legislation passed by the AANES to protect women's rights isn't fully applied in Manbij.

The Young Women's Union there, however, has demanded stronger legal protections.
https://ar.kongra-star.org/2020/01/05/6448/

As of 2019, 3 women from Manbij served on the Executive Council of the entire AANES:

- Alaa Ahmed, Co-Chair of the Health and Environment Commission
- Maha Ali, Women's Commission deputy
- Amel Dada, Co-Chair of the External Relations Office

https://rojavainformationcenter.com/storage/2019/12/2019-Executive-Council-Member-Survey-Autonomous-Administration.pdf

Here are two interviews with Amel Dada from before she served in the AANES Executive Council. She is a member of the Turkmen community in Manbij, and lived there under the regime, the FSA, and ISIS before its liberation.

https://anfenglishmobile.com/features/emel-dede-we-put-manbij-back-on-its-feet-27982

https://anfenglishmobile.com/features/manbij-political-council-member-we-re-already-free-don-t-need-turkey-18889

This is just a short overview of what the revolutionary social policies of the AANES have done over time in a multi-ethnic city that suffered greatly under ISIS rule. There was no "foreign" or "imposed" ideology— this is what real liberation and rebuilding a society looks like.

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