Women in northeast Syria, known to Kurds as Rojava, gathered on Sunday to mark International Women's Day- a yearly event which celebrates female achievement and strives for equal rights. 

International Women's Day is celebrated annually on March 8 and is a global movement "celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women," as well as calling for gender equality. 

Women gathered  in the Syrian Kurdish city of Tirbe Spi (al-Qahtaniyah) in the Qamishli district to mark the occasion with dancing and music.  

The autonomous region of northeast Syria is known for carving out a progressive arena for women’s rights and representation. 

Prominent politician Hevrin Khalaf, who was murdered in October 2019, was  known for her work advocating for women’s rights in the area.  

Shortly before her death, she attended a tribal forum  in which she praised the progress made by women in Rojava. 
 
This "huge gathering of women is evidence that women have been able to get out of the shell or cease hiding behind their mask," she said.

Rojava is also home to Syria’s only all-women village of Jin War, officially established in 2018.

Photos: Delil Souleiman/AFP