Kurdish women among celebrated public figures in Sweden

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Three Kurdish women living in Sweden have been hailed as inspiring female immigrants who succeeded to change their own life and leave a positive mark on their surrounding, according to a newly published book in Sweden that was out on March 8th, the Women’s Day. 

The book titled “Sverige- En (o)besvarad kärlekshistoria”—(Sweden—An (un)requited love story)— covers the experiences and stories of 16 migrant women who chose Sweden as their new homeland while trying to both adopt to the new conditions but also change attitudes in the Scandinavian country with a sizable migrant population. 

The three Kurdish women include Evin Khaffaf, an entrepreneur and politician with the Moderates party who was born in Sulaimani, Kurdistan region but moved to Sweden; Berivan Öngörur, a political activist and an official at the TCO organization, born in Merdin, Turkey’s Kurdistan, and Nadiya Hatam, a lawyer from Iranian Kurdistan, born in Moscow. 

The book is out at a time when government’s migration policy has polarized the Swedish people over how to tackle the flow of refugees in the country.

The ruling Social Democrats announced last year the country would open up and receive an unprecedented number of refugees from war zones of the Middle East, especially from Syria with over 7 million people displaced internally or taking shelter in camps across the borders. 
The book’s author, Nivin Yosef, said the book demonstrated the status of the Kurdish women in Sweden along with that of many other migrant women.

“There are successful Swedish women among migrants in Sweden and we wanted to show that,” said Yosef who originally comes from Syria.  

The vast majority of Kurdish migrants came to Sweden in mid-1990s from Iraq and Turkey when deterioration of conditions in the two countries forced thousands into exile. 

A growing number of Kurds are active in politics with five Kurdish lawmakers at the Swedish parliament and numerous other officials at local levels, many of them women politicians. 

“Sweden is the country where women can radically empower their position,” said author Rose Lisa and described the story of these women as a positive indication despite the apparent difficulties.

“The book is a historical document which has recorded the experiences of several inspiring people in Sweden today. Just the fact that the book is published is an important development,” she said. 

Let's block ads! (Why?)

from Rudaw http://ift.tt/1pSU4du
via Defense News