Êzîdxan Women's Units

Êzidxan Women's Units
Yekinêyen Jinên Êzidxan (YJÊ)
Participant in Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)

Female Yezidi resistance fighters of the YJÊ, September 2015 near Sinjar
Active 2015–present[1]
Ideology Democratic Confederalism/Yazidi regionalism, Jinologi
Leaders Berivan Aslan
Headquarters Sinjar, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq
Part of Sinjar Alliance
Originated as Sinjar Women’s Defense Units (YPJ-Sinjar)
Allies

Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ)
Protection Force of Sinjar (HPŞ)
Free Women's Units (YJA-Star)

Women's Protection Units (YPJ)
Opponents  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and wars

Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)

The Êzidxan Women's Units (Kurdish: Yekinêyen Jinên Êzidxan‎ or YJÊ) is a Yazidi all-women militia formed in Iraq in 2015 to protect the Yazidi community in the wake of attacks by the Islamic State and other groups that see all Yazidis as pagan infidels.[2]

YJÊ are women fighters trained by the Kurdish Workers Party guerillas to defend themselves against Islamist extremists.

An offshoot of the mixed-gender Yazidi militia Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ), the YJÊ was founded on 5 January 2015 under the original name of Yekîneyên Parastina Jin ê Şengalê (Kurdish: Sinjar Women’s Protection Units‎), or YPJ-Sinjar.[1] The militia adopted its current name on 26 October 2015.[3]

The organization aligns with imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's feminist concept of Jinologi[1] and the concept of Democratic Confederalism as advocated by the Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK). It specifically calls for an autonomous canton of Ezidxan within the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.[4]

Activity

In October 2015, the YJÊ participated in the foundation of the Sinjar Alliance as an all-Yezidi joint commando umbrella structure. Besides their mixed-gender pendant, the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ), the formerly Peshmerga-aligned Protection Force of Sinjar (HPŞ)[5] and other, independent Yezidi units committed to the united Yezidi front.[6]

Under the joint command of the newly founded Sinjar Alliance, the Êzidxan Women's Units took part in the November 2015 Sinjar offensive.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "YPJ-Sinjar founding meeting held". DİHA. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  2. ↑ Moroz, Sarah. "The women taking on Isis: on the ground with Iraq's female fighters". the Guardian. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  3. ↑ "YPJ Shengal changes its name to YJÊ". Fırat News. 26 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  4. ↑ FLANAGIN, JAKE (October 13, 2014). "Women Fight ISIS and Sexism in Kurdish Regions". The New York Times – The Opinion Pages. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Yezidi forces form alliance against IS". Êzîdî Press. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Independent Yezidi units join Shingal alliance". Êzîdî Press. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Shingal: KurdInnen starten mit vereinten Kräften Großoffensive gegen IS". Kurdische Nachrichten (in German). 12 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
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