Bêrîtan Elyakut-Cahide Harputlu/JINHA

KOBANÊ -The women's army YPJ celebrated two years of women's self-defense in Rojava this Saturday. As they prepare to enter a third year of fighting for women's freedom, YPJ founders discussed the process of founding an autonomous women's defense organization.

In the Kobanê resistance, the women of the YPJ led the charge against Daesh heavy ammunitions armed only with their light arms and their famous ululations. But in its three years, the YPJ has done more than attain military victories. It has transformed possibilities for women in Rojava—and aims to be a model for self-defense for women around the world.

TheYekîneyênParastina Jinan (YPJ) was founded in April 2013 after a conference about how women in Rojava could autonomously and independently defend themselves from violent attacks of all kinds.

"At first, in Kobanê, there were only YekîneyênParastina Gel forces," said Kobanê born JiyanOrhan, among the YPJ founders, referring to the YPJ's male-staffed brother organization. "At first, we women in Kobanê were working with the YPG forces." But on April 1, Jiyan said, women decided to hold a conference to discuss self-defense.

In a process that echoed the formation of Northern Kurdish women's fighters YJA-Star, who originally worked as part of the men's armed group HPG before moving to an autonomous all-women organization, women fighters at the conference expressed the need for an all-women's force focused on women's liberation. The YPJ decided to announce its formation several days later on April 4, which is also the birthday of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, whose women-centered philosophy is a major inspiration for women fighters.

Meryem Amara, who was also present at the conference, recalled it as a period of great excitement.

"When I heard the [proposed] name, I got so excited," she said. "For women to now be taking on the leadership role in war as the YPJ, to be foregrounding their own voices and willpower, was an amazing feeling."

"After the YPJ announced itself, there were volunteers from everywhere, including married women who wanted to struggle and volunteer with us," said Jiyan. The YPJ's foundation emboldened Kurdish women around the world, with Kurdish women historically entering the European Parliament in their national clothes soon after.

Meryem Amara said it was natural for media around the world to minimize and invisibilizewomen's role as leaders in the Kobanê resistance and beyond, but that women would continue struggling to resist the system that sidelined their struggle.

"Just as the YPJ defends itself, it will end the enslavement of women around the world," said RonahîJiyan, a YPJ fighter who took part in the YPJ founding.

(fk/cm)