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{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Women's Protection Units
| native_name = {{
| image = File:YPJ Flag.svg
| caption = Flag of the YPJ
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* [[Operation Olive Branch]]
* [[2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria]]
* [[Operation Enduring Security (2024)]]
* [[2024 Syrian opposition offensives]]
** [[Battle of Aleppo (2024)]]
** [[Deir ez-Zor offensive (2024)]]
'''[[War in Iraq (2013–2017)]]'''
* [[December 2014 Sinjar offensive]]
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<!-- Insignia -->| identification_symbol =
| identification_symbol_label = Emblem
| website = https://ypjrojava.net/
}}
The '''Women's Protection Units'''{{Efn|({{
== History ==
Women have been involved in Syrian Kurdish Resistance fighting since as early as 2011, when the mixed-sex YXG was founded, later to be renamed YPG in 2012.<ref name=":1">{{cite book |last1=Knapp |first1=Michael |last2=Flach |first2=Anja |last3=Ayboga |first3=Ercan |title=Revolution in Rojava : democratic autonomy and women's liberation in Syrian Kurdistan |date=2016 |publisher=Pluto Press |location=London |isbn=9780745336596}}</ref> The YPJ was founded as a strictly women's organization on 4 April 2013<ref name=":1" /> with the first battalion formed in [[Jindires]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jankalan.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/formation-the-first-battalion-of-womens-protection-units-in-western-kurdistan/|title=Formation the first battalion of women's protection units in western Kurdistan|author=Jan Kalan|date=3 March 2013}}</ref> and later expanded its activities towards the [[Euphrates Region|Kobane]] and [[Jazira Region|Jazira]] cantons.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2020-05-27|title=Explainer: Military and self defense forces in North and East Syria|url=https://rojavainformationcenter.com/2020/05/explainer-military-and-self-defense-forces-in-north-and-east-syria/|access-date=2020-07-04|website=Rojava Information Center|language=en-GB}}</ref> All female fighters who were previously part of the YPG mixed units automatically became members of the YPJ. Initially, there was just one YPJ battalion in each of the three cantons of Rojava, but battalions were quickly established in every neighborhood, expanding the organization.<ref name=":1" />
Between 2014 and November 2016 the YPJ counted between 7,000 and 20,000 members. As of August 2017, the group was reported to have 24,000 members.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/meet-female-soldiers-syria-iraq-fighting-gender-equality-much/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/meet-female-soldiers-syria-iraq-fighting-gender-equality-much/ |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title = Meet the female soldiers in Syria and Iraq fighting for gender equality as much as freedom|newspaper = The Telegraph|date = 2017-08-18|last1 = Argentieri|first1 = Benedetta}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After the defeat of ISIL the number has decreased and according to an interview by its General Commander Newroz Ahmed given to ''[[The Guardian]]'', is currently at 5,000.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Flock|first=Elizabeth|date=2021-07-19|title='Now I've a purpose': why more Kurdish women are choosing to fight|url=http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/19/came-to-fight-stayed-for-the-freedom-why-more-kurdish-women-are-taking-up-arms
In the [[Syrian civil war]], the YPJ and the YPG have fought against various groups in northern Syria, including the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] (ISIL) and was involved in the defense of [[Kobanî]] during the [[Siege of Kobanî]]<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last=Tank|first=Pinar|date=2017|title=Kurdish Women in Rojava: From Resistance to Reconstruction|journal=Die Welt des Islams|volume=57|issue=3–4|pages=406|doi=10.1163/15700607-05734p07|jstor=26568532|issn=0043-2539|doi-access=free}}</ref> beginning in March 2014, with various Kurdish media agencies reporting that "YPJ troops have become vital in the battle".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theweek.co.uk/middle-east/islamic-state/60758/ypj-the-kurdish-feminists-fighting-islamic-state#ixzz3GjjLHvDw|title=YPJ: The Kurdish feminists fighting Islamic State|work=The Week UK|access-date=21 October 2014|date=7 October 2014}} {{verify source |date=September 2019 |reason=This ref was deleted Special:Diff/870041580 by a bug in VisualEditor and later restored by a bot from the original cite located at Special:Permalink/870036709 cite #14 – verify the cite is accurate and delete this template. [[User:GreenC bot/Job 18]]}}</ref> In the Siege of Kobanî, prior to receiving the support of Western powers, the YPJ was forced to hold off ISIL attacks using only "[[AK-47#Variants|vintage Russian Kalashnikovs]] bought on the black market, handmade grenades, and [[technical (vehicle)|tanks they put together out of construction vehicles and pick-up trucks]]."<ref name=":0" /> It was not until October 2014 that the United States began coordinating air strikes with the YPJ-YPG fighters on the ground.<ref name=":0" />
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Dating back to the early 1990s, Öcalan had been advocating that a ‘basic responsibility’ of the Kurdish movement was to liberate women. He stated that gender equality and women's liberation is necessary for Kurdish liberation. The PKK established its first all-female units of guerrillas in 1995, stating that in order to “break down gender roles solidified by centuries, women had to be on their own.”<ref name=":2" /> The YPJ adheres to the same strand of feminist ideology. Having joined the YPJ, women must spend at least a month practicing military tactics and studying the political theories of Öcalan, including [[Jineology]]. In any communal decision, regarding the YPJ/YPG or otherwise, it is required that no less than 40% of women participate.<ref>Knapp, Michael. 2016. ''Revolution in Rojava : Democratic Autonomy and Women’s Liberation in Syrian Kurdistan''. [Place of publication not identified]: Pluto Press.</ref>
[[File:YPJ fighters stand in formation.jpg|thumb|YPJ fighter wearing
[[File:Storia Partigiana.jpg|thumb|A [[mural]] in support of the YPJ in [[Bologna]], [[Italy]]]]
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Another all-female force in northern Syria is the [[Bethnahrain Women's Protection Forces]], which was formed as an [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] all-female brigade of the [[Syriac Military Council]], seemingly inspired by the example of the YPJ. The [[Syrian Democratic Forces military councils#Al-Bab|Al-Bab Military Council]], [[Kurdish Front]] and [[Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa]] have also established their own female units.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aranews.net/2016/11/inspired-kurdish-ypj-units-al-bab-military-council-launches-female-battalion-fight-isis/|title=Inspired by Kurdish units, al-Bab Military Council creates all-female battalion – ARA News|date=1 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105234328/http://aranews.net/2016/11/inspired-kurdish-ypj-units-al-bab-military-council-launches-female-battalion-fight-isis/|archive-date=5 November 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=24 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://jabhetakrad.com/?p=2477|title=بيان إلى الرأي العام|access-date=2017-03-24|archive-date=2017-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217223400/http://jabhetakrad.com/?p=2477|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[Abdullah Öcalan|Abdullah Öcalan's]] ideas surrounding women's rights have been integral to the founding of the YPJ. Öcalan argued that “the struggle for women's freedom must be waged through the establishment of their own political parties, attaining a popular women's movement, building their own nongovernmental organizations and structures of democratic politics.”<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tzemach Lemmon |first=Gayle |title=The Daughters of Kobani |publisher=Penguin Random House |year=2021 |isbn=9780525560708 |edition=1st |location=United States of America |pages=25–26 |language=}}</ref> Öcalan developed this idea in 1996 when he published his theory of separation, which asserts that "if it is held that revolution cannot be made for the people, but rather by the people, then it must be held that revolution cannot merely be made for women but by women.”<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cartier |first=Marcel|author-link=Marcel Cartier |title=[[Serkeftin|Serkeftin, A narrative of the Rojava revolution]] |publisher=[[Zero Books]] |year=2019 |isbn=9781789040128 |pages=13–14 |language=}}</ref> The YPJ makes women an integral part of the governmental structure of [[Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria|Rojava]] as well as giving women an independent military unit which aligns with the theory of separation. As such the YPJ is an example of the manifestation of Kurdish political ideology particularly regarding women's role in nation building.
==
The YPJ (Women's Defense Units) recruits primarily single women for active combat roles. Married women with children are often assigned to non-combat roles in public relations, administration, and recruitment.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Women on the front at Raqqa: an interview with Kimmie Taylor |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/women-on-front-at-raqqa/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=openDemocracy |language=en}}</ref> Although the bulk of YPJ fighters are Kurdish women, Kurdish forces in Syria declared in 2017 that they will establish a battalion and training facility for [[Arab women]] to join the battle against the Islamic State group [IS].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017-01-05 |title=Kurds recruiting Arab women to fight IS in Syria |url=https://www.newarab.com/news/kurds-recruiting-arab-women-fight-syria |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=New Arab |language=en}}</ref> YPJ is a volunteer army, and there is no compulsory recruitment. Some impoverished families receive financial compensation for their daughters' service. Women are allowed five days off per month to visit their families, but not all choose to do so, especially if their families discourage their return to the front lines. In contrast to men, who can go home every ten days, the rules for women's visits are more flexible, as YPJ makes its own decisions based on their unique perspectives and priorities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mellows |first=Lauren |date=2015-05-07 |title=Case Study: Recruitment of Girls into Militant Groups |url=https://ican.mystagingwebsite.com/2015/05/case-study-recruitment-of-girls-into-militant-groups-2/ |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=ICAN |language=en-US}}</ref> This reflects a distinct approach from Western feminism, as the women in YPJ have experienced a more direct and tangible form of oppression compared to many in the West, where oppression can be subtler, leading some to deny its existence.<ref name=":7" />
=== Foreign volunteers ===
On March 16, 2018, [[Anna Campbell]] became the first British woman to die while fighting as a part of the YPJ. Campbell had left her home in [[Lewes|Lewes, East Sussex]] to go to Rojava and join the YPJ. She was killed in the city of Afrin during a YPJ confrontation with Turkish military forces.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/19/briton-kurds-anna-campbell-dies-fighting-turkey-syria-afrin|title=British woman killed fighting Turkish forces in Afrin|last1=Blake|first1=Matt|date=2018-03-19|work=The Guardian|access-date=2018-12-05|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Since her enlistment, a number of other British women, such as Rûken Renas, have also signed up to fight with the YPJ.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/23/thousands-could-die-female-british-fighter-rukan-renas-urges-support-for-syrias-kurds|title='Thousands could die': female British fighter urges support for Syria's Kurds|last1=Blake|first1=Matt|date=2018-03-23|work=The Guardian|access-date=2018-12-05|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
[[Hanna Bohman]] is another YPJ fighter hailing from the western hemisphere, in her case Canada. After nearly dying in a motorcycle incident, Bohman decided to leave her home in Vancouver, Canada to join the YPJ in February 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.elleuk.com/life-and-culture/culture/longform/a40578/hanna-bohman-canadian-isis-ypj/|title=Meet The Canadian Who Fights ISIS Alongside 10,000 Women|last1=O'Malley|first1=Katie|date=2017-12-20|website=ELLE|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref>
Additionally, [[Arabs|Arab]] and [[Yazidis|Yazidi]] women that the YPJ liberated from ISIS have also begun fighting against their former oppressors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/raqqa-latest-yazidi-women-fighters-ygs-isis-massacre-syria-iraq-a7988461.html|title='We want revenge': Meet the Yazidi women freeing their sisters from Isis in Raqqa|date=2017-10-08|website=The Independent|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref> The YPJ has set up institutions where these women are trained both militarily, as well as in fields such as [[feminist history]] and philosophy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/female-kurdish-fighters-ypj-set-up-new-training-academies-arab-yazidi-women-to-fight-isis-a7508951.html|title=So many women have volunteered to fight Isis they need to build new academies for female fighters|date=2017-01-04|website=The Independent|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref> The Yazidi population has since created its own self defense force, the [[Sinjar Resistance Units]] (YBŞ).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/yazidis-battle-isil-disaster-stronger-150222112936773.html|title=Yazidis battle ISIL: Disaster 'made us stronger'|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2020-03-10}}</ref>
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==In popular culture==
* The 2018 French war drama ''[[
* The 2022 Kurdish film ''[[Kobanê (film)|Kobanê]]'' depicts the role of women fighters of the YPJ in the [[Siege of Kobanî]].
* The women fighters of the YPJ are depicted in [[SEAL Team
* The 2023 Documentary ''Dream's Gate,'' directed by Negin Ahmadi depicts the role of women fighters of the YPJ during Civil war,she ventured into the war-torn region with her video camera in 2016.<ref>{{Citation |title='Is This Really Me?': On The Front Line In Syria With Female Kurdish Fighters |date=2023-07-28 |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-filmmaker-documentary-kurd-women-fighters-soldiers-syria-ypg/32524528.html |access-date=2023-10-27 |language=en}}</ref>
==See also==
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[[Category:Military wings of socialist parties]]
[[Category:National liberation armies]]
[[Category:People's
[[Category:Syrian Democratic Forces]]
[[Category:Syrian Kurdish organizations]]
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