Bêrîtan Elyakut/JINHA

KOBANÊ – The Rojava women's self-defense force YPJ reports that their resistance against Daesh gangs has been drawing an increasing amount of volunteers.

The armed force, known worldwide for their women's self-defense struggle against Daesh's patriarchal and genocidal attacks, recently celebrated its third birthday, on April 4. They say there are increasing volunteers to their ranks.

Ronahi Jiyan, who has been a YPJ fighter for several years, discussed her reasons for joining the self-defense force. She said that she and other women in Rojava had lived like slaves, imprisoned in their houses, before the revolution.

In a 15-day education session about women's liberation philosophy and the thinking of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, said Ronahi, she said she began to feel "that women have willpower."

"After the training, I went to my family and told them I decided to join the YPJ. Then I volunteered with their support," she said.

Ronahi recalled listening to a conversation between Daesh members talking about YPJ fighters over their walkie-talkies during a clash.

"They were saying, 'the people fighting against us are women. We don't want to fight them. If they kill us, we'll go to hell,'" she recalled. She said that she was proud that the sound of women's ululations ringing out in Kobanê both gave morale to her comrades and terrified the Daesh gangs.

"For five months, we as women took part in the war for Kobanê," she said. "We broke Daesh attacks just with the sound of our ululations. At that moment, I understood that free women can fight against all backwards thinking. Women can do what they want, at any time, and can live a beautiful life when they're organized."

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