Honors first female martyr Khaje Bawe
Erbil commemorates 33rd anniversary of uprising against Baath regime
ERBIL — Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Erbil uprising against the former Baath regime in Iraq, commemorating the day Khaje Bawe became the first woman to die as a martyr in the movement.
A ceremony took place near Khaje Bawe’s statue, which was unveiled last year on 30 Meter Street close to the Council of Ministers, in her honor.
During the event, the Erbil governor’s speech was delivered, highlighting the significance of the Erbil uprising and declaring March 11, 1970 a historic milestone for the Kurdish people.
Following the speech, musical performances and songs were presented by groups associated with the General Directorate of Culture and Arts in Erbil and school activity groups.
Khaje Bawe, remembered for her sacrifice during the uprising, was killed by security forces’ gunfire outside the governorate building.
On March 11, 1991, as Erbil began its liberation and uprising, the 46-year-old woman, leading a group of armed youths from the Setaqan neighborhood to the governorate building, was injured by Iraqi government security forces. Despite her injuries, she did not retreat and was ultimately killed, later being buried in the Sheikh Ahmad cemetery.
Born in 1945 in the village of Mala Qara in the Dibega sub-district, Khaje Bawe actively participated in the Kurdish movement from the age of 17, starting with the Kurdish revolution in 1962, and supported Peshmerga forces.
She provided shelter for wounded Peshmergas in her home in 1968, keeping it a secret even from her children. Khaje Bawe, a mother of seven, has a high school in Erbil named in her honor.
In 2022, the foundation stone for her statue was laid at the site of her sacrifice and the statue was unveiled in 2023.