As women, what characteristics do we need in order to defend ourselves? Read the full interview with YPJ commander Nesrin Abdullah about young women and self-defense here.

In December 2024, there was not only a change of power in Syria. At the same time, the Turkish state and its allied militias attacked the self-administration of North&East Syria. At Tishreen Dam,due the great resistance of the people, YPJ & QSD these attacks were stopped.    

On the occasion of 25.11., the day against violence against women,we remember all women who fought and are still fighting against violence and all kinds of oppression. They are a heritage and inspiration to make everyday a day to fight for a just world where women can exist in a true way.    

Self-defense and building a democratic society are two essential pillars for ensuring stability and freedom. Only together, we will be able to create a secure, just, and dignified future for every member of society. But what exactly does self-defense mean? And how does it relate to establishing a democratic society? What role do women play in this? Women from Kongra Star, the Women Protection Units YPJ and the Beth Nahrin’s Women’s Protection Forces discuss these important topics. This project was a cooperation between YPJ Information and Documentation Office, Kongra Star and Women Defend Rojava.      

Every shot fired by the YPJ is a shot fired in defense of dignity and life. In this short video we remember other shots, also fired in defense of life like the ones fired on August 15, 1984. On this day the sound of gunfire proved and ensured the existence of the Kurdish people, despite all attempts to wipe them out. https://ypj-info.org/wp-content/uploads/15-Tabaxe-inglisi-1.mp4

On the occasion of the revolution in Rojava on July 19 2025, we spoke to two female YPJ fighters.   https://ypj-info.org/wp-content/uploads/Salvegera-Soresa-Rojava_inglisi.mp4

On 09.12.2024 the women struggle reached new heights. On this day Dilda Welat, Cudî Tolhildan, Axîn Koçer, Sema Hesekê and Tolhildan Serêkanîyê fought a great struggle against the approaching militias.  Tolhildan Serêkanîyê felt martyr in the fight. Dilda Welat, Cudî Tolhildan, Axîn Koçer and Sema Hesekê fought until their last bullet. Then they decided to use a hand grenade to explode themselves and the approaching enemy.  With this action they continued the line of of martyr Zilan, who herself wrote a new chapter of women struggle on 30 June 1996. With her self-sacrificial action in the heart of the enemy she showed that the enemy is not invincible. With gratitude we remember martyr Zilan, the self-sacrifice of women fighters in Mimbic and all the women who gave their lives for the cause of freedom and justice.   https://ypj-info.org/wp-content/uploads/final.mp4

A delegation of the Danielle Mitterrand Foundation visited YPJ and afterwards shared wit us their thoughts on the visit and discussions.

Statement of the General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) In light of the recent developments in Syria particularly following Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) seizure of power and the overthrow of the Ba’athist Syrian regime we observe that the conflict in Syria has deepened, descending further into widespread chaos. This jihadist regime and its extremist ideology have perpetrated massacres and acts of genocide against our people in the Syrian coastal regions. Today, we witness this same oppressive force launching brutal assaults against our Druze community with equal ferocity. Yet, our Druze people represent an ancient and honorable community, just like all the other components of Syrian society, and they have long struggled for their freedom and independence. HTS, with its authoritarian and oppressive mentality, seeks to subjugate the deeply rooted peoples of this land, such as the Alawites and Druze, deliberately sowing sectarian conflict and fueling tensions among the diverse communities of the region. By doing so, they aim to exploit these divisions in pursuit of their notorious strategy of “divide and rule.” Recent events have further exposed the grave danger posed by this jihadist ideology not only to the peoples of Syria but to women in particular. A regime that rejects the rich diversity of peoples and faiths can never be a model for governance in Syria. Historically, Syria has been a homeland where diverse communities have coexisted on the same land. This diversity must never be a pretext for genocide or persecution; rather, it should be a wellspring for freedom of thought, expression, and coexistence. In truth, Syria has endured the unspeakable horrors of a prolonged and bloody war. The peoples of this region are exhausted by this destruction and yearn to live freely and with dignity on their own land. However, the jihadist mentality categorically rejects Syria’s social mosaic, thus obstructing any path toward rebuilding a democratic, pluralistic Syria. Moreover, democracy cannot take root in a system dominated by patriarchal and authoritarian rule. The model capable of leading Syria into a just and peaceful future is the Democratic Nation model whose achievements can already be witnessed in the reality of North and East Syria (Rojava), where all communities have been able to express their identities and live freely in harmony and mutual respect. As the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), we categorically condemn these terrorist crimes committed against our Druze and Alawite peoples, who are an integral part of Syria’s social fabric. We stand firmly against all forms of systematic terrorist aggression that target human values and threaten the unity of Syrian society. We believe that self-defense is the primary and indispensable guarantee for building a free and democratic society. We affirm that only women possess the vision and strength to lead Syria through this critical juncture, steering the region toward stability and security. At the same time, we can construct a future Syria that is democratic and secure, guided by the ethical and aesthetic consciousness of womena consciousness that stands in direct opposition to the dominant, violent, patriarchal mentality. On this basis, we call upon all peoples especially women to embrace the principle of self-defense as a means to protect their rights and the rights of all communities, for self-defense is a natural and legitimate right for every people. Women across the region and around the world must shoulder their historic responsibility to their peoples, and together, we must escalate our struggle to strengthen unity and organization. Once again, we reaffirm our commitment to building a free and dignified life through collective struggle and shared consciousness. We declare that the only viable solution for Syria lies in establishing a participatory society shaped by the organized will and leadership of women. In response to the massacres committed against our Syrian people, our greatest act of resistance will be to embrace the mission of legitimate self-defense with conscious, organized resolve and to realize a democratic Syria that welcomes all peoples and women in peace, dignity, and freedom. General Command of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) 04.05.2025

The revolution in Rojava/ North and East Syria is entering its 13th year of existence, driven by the pioneering role of the Women’s Protection Units, which have taken a heavy burden on them in order to protect the peoples of the region. The YPJ has resisted all occupying forces and militias, and became a source of inspiration and great strength for all women around the world to stand up against all kinds of attacks. The occupying Turkish state, which bases its existence on the extinction of the Kurdish people and the revolution, has seen the revolution from its beginning as a threat to itself, thus carrying out numerous attacks in order to obstruct and weaken the revolution from progressing. Feeling particularly threatened by the fact that this is a women’s revolution in its truest sense, the Turkish state has been especially targeting women and the leaders of this revolution. All courage, sacrifice, and hard work of the past 12 years have been made to protect all women in the world and humanity itself. The fighters and commanders of YPJ are not simply in their skills of warfare but also due to their ideological and political stance an example for all women to struggle against the consciousness of the dominant men, capitalist and hegemonic forces on multiple fronts. In this regard, targeting YPJ fighters and commanders does not mean to simply target the military defense of North and East Syria, the protection of the people, but the revolution as a whole. In this brochure, we want to shed light on the lives of the YPJ fighters and commanders who were martyred in the year 2024 in assassinations by the Turkish state. You can read and download the full brochure here.  

Without all the friends who have given their precious life, the Rojava revolution would not exist. Our existence is bound to their martyrdom. They are our legacy. For the official ‘Day of Martyrs of North and East Syria’, which commemorates all martyrs but especially those of the Qereçox hill massacre (25.04.2017), we spoke with YPJ Commander Nesrin Abdullah about the meaning of martyrdom and martyrs for the revolution. She remembers the martyrs of the Qereçox hill massacre and explains how the people’s response to this attack became paradigmatic for a common struggle for the democratic nation and freedom.

The revolution in North and East Syria has seen around 14.000 friends martyred. To honor them the 25th of April was declared “Day of Martyrs of North an East Syria” by the Autonomous Administration. On this occasion we spoke with Gulê, mother of a fallen fighter and spokesperson of the Women’s Committee of the Federation of Families of Martyrs, about this question.