The Êzîdxan Women's Units ( or YJÊ) is a Yazidi all-women militia formed in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

in 2015 to protect the Yazidi community in the wake of attacks by the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signi ...

and other Islamist groups that view Yazidis as pagan infidels. 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 (, YJŞ), or YPJ-Sinjar. The militia adopted its current name on 26 October 2015. The organization follows imprisoned PKK leader

Abdullah Öcalan Abdullah Öcalan ( ; ; born 4 April 1948 or 1949), also known as Apo (short for Abdullah in Turkish; Kurdish for "uncle"), is a founding member of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Öcalan was based in Syria from 1979 to 1998. He ...

's feminist Jineology, and with the broader concept of

democratic confederalism Democratic confederalism (), also known as Kurdish communalism, Öcalanism, or Apoism, is a political concept theorized by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan about a system of democratic self-organization with the features o ...

as advocated by the Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK).

Activity

In October 2015, the YJÊ participated in the foundation of the Sinjar Alliance as an all-Yezidi joint commando umbrella structure, along with the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ), the formerly Peshmerga-aligned Protection Force of Sinjar (HPŞ) and other, independent Yezidi units committed to the united Yezidi front. Under the joint command of the newly founded Sinjar Alliance, the Êzidxan Women's Units took part in the November 2015 Sinjar offensive.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ezidxan Women's Units Apoist organizations in Iraq Militias in Asia Paramilitary forces of Iraq Anti-ISIL factions in Iraq Sinjar Alliance Religious paramilitary organizations All-female military units and formations Feminism in the Middle East Military units and formations established in 2015 2015 establishments in Iraq Yazidi organizations in Iraq Women in Iraq

Activity

See also

References