Women’s Defence Units (YPJ

The Women’s Defence Units (YPJ)—the female counterpart to the People’s Protection Units (YPG)—became an iconic symbol of the Syrian Civil War, representing both a formidable military force and a radical social experiment.

Origins and Foundation:

The YPJ was officially founded on April 4, 2013, during the vacuum created by the Syrian Civil War. While Kurdish women had fought in mixed units since 2011, the YPJ was established as a strictly autonomous all-female organization. It emerged from the “Rojava Revolution” in northern Syria, where Kurdish groups sought to establish self-governance.

Ideology: Jineology:

The group’s foundation is built on the philosophy of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK. At the heart of this is Jineology (from the Kurdish word Jin, meaning woman), often described as “the science of women.”

• Key Belief: “A country cannot be free unless the women are free.”
• Social Rejection: The YPJ rejects the traditional patriarchal state, religious fundamentalism, and capitalism.
• Self-Defense: They view military action not as aggression, but as the “ethical duty” of self-defense against 5,000 years of patriarchal history.

Notable Military Achievements

The YPJ gained global attention for their frontline combat roles, particularly against ISIS:

• The Siege of Kobanî (2014-2015): YPJ fighters were instrumental in holding the city against ISIS. Their presence was a psychological weapon; ISIS militants reportedly feared being killed by a woman, believing it would deny them entry into paradise.
• Rescue at Mount Sinjar (2014): Alongside the YPG, the YPJ opened a humanitarian corridor to rescue over 10,000 Yazidis trapped by ISIS, saving them from genocide.
• Liberation of Raqqa (2017): As part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the YPJ led the offensive to take back the “capital” of the ISIS caliphate.

Life as a YPJ Fighter

• Volunteer Force: Members are volunteers who receive no salary. They live in communal units and rely on local communities for food and supplies.
• Education: Training is not just military; it involves a month of studying political theory, feminist history, and philosophy.
• Autonomy: The YPJ has its own General Command. While it coordinates with the male-led YPG, all decisions regarding women are made independently by female leaders.

Current Status (2025–2026)

Following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, the YPJ has remained a critical actor in the SDF. Commanders like Rohilat Afrin have expressed deep concern over the new interim government’s failure to include diverse ethnic and gender perspectives, arguing that the “democratic transition” promised after Assad’s fall is being undermined by centralist and patriarchal tendencies among the new rulers.