"In times of conflict, the most vulnerable among us, especially women and children, suffer the most."

- UNICEF

"War affects men and women differently, with women and children being particularly affected. They face increasing risks of sexual violence, displacement, and the loss of access to basic services."

- UN Women

"Women and children are the most vulnerable in times of conflict. They often bear the burden of displacement, violence, and deprivation while struggling to survive and protect their families."

- UNHCR

Women and children, in particular, bear the brunt of the horrors of war, experiencing the greatest losses, falling under war crimes according to international laws. Just as documenting and observing these crimes is essential for holding war criminals accountable before international courts, the arts, especially theater, participate in this documentation to keep these crimes alive in collective memory. In this context, the Isis Festival aims to shed light on female theater makers and feminist creativity for the purpose of observation, documentation, and development. The festival has chosen the theme "Creative Women Under Siege" for its main symposium. In this symposium, participants present and evaluate the works of female theater makers and their performances created under gunfire and indiscriminate shelling in war-torn regions, as witnessed in recent history and ongoing conflicts in Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, former Yugoslavia, and other conflict zones. Let us applaud their efforts, keeping their sacrifices and resilience alive in our memory.