CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7th, 6:00 PM
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
+1 650-703-4523
Campaign for Uyghurs www.campaignforuyghurs.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) stands in solidarity with Uyghur women who are specifically targeted in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) genocide of the Uyghur people. Today, we emphasize the essential role of women’s rights movements and institutions in their advocacy for the dignity and freedom of Uyghur women, who endure triple oppression due to their identity, faith, and gender.
To secure China’s borders and exert territorial dominance, the CCP targets Uyghur women with barbaric birthrate suppression tactics such as forced abortions, chemical sterilizations, government mandated intrauterine devices (IUDs), and forced marriage. In 2023, a government-sanctioned match-making app was introduced, offering Uyghur women to Han Chinese men, furthering the government’s agenda to dilute the Uyghur culture.
Horrifying testimonies unveil the systematic physical, mental, and sexual abuses inflicted upon the women within the CCP’s concentration camps. Internal documents obtained by the Shahit Biz network document the religious persecution of Uyghur women. For instance, Helchem Pazil (79), along with her three daughters and daughter and law, received a 17-year prison sentence for taking part in religious activities six years prior. Retired physician Dr. Gulshan Abbas and prominent Uyghur scholar, Professor Rahile Dawut are among those unjustly imprisoned Uyghur women enduring the harsh conditions of the CCP’s prisons.
CFU Executive Director Rushan Abbas states, “It is the moral duty of global advocates of women’s rights and feminism to extend a firm helping hand to Uyghur women. Their suffering highlights the heightened vulnerability that women endure amidst genocide, and how controlling women enables the larger control of a population. For this International Women’s Day to be truly inclusive, we must advocate for the rights of Uyghur women to have children, to raise a future generation safely, and the right to marry freely.”
CFU calls upon international organizations and the women’s rights advocates to acknowledge the severity of the atrocities faced by Uyghur women and fulfill the duty to defend the rights of Uyghur women. To further strengthen awareness, CFU is hosting a side event in collaboration with the NGO CSW68 titled “Strengthening Institutions: Fortifying Uyghur Women’s Rights” on March 15th. This panel will spotlight the persecution of Uyghur women and explore strategies to support women in their fight against the CCP. We invite everyone to join us via livestream on CFU’s X, Facebook, and YouTube channels.
