Reporting from Syria: How the Fight Against ISIS Gained Women’s Rights in Kurdish-led Rojava, Syria

Women of the Bethnahrain Women’s Protection Forces, a Christian women’s militia in Rojava, Syria. Photo courtesy of ANF.

Published October 29, 2025

In northern Syria, where years of war have reshaped communities and boundaries, one region stands out for an unexpected social transformation. The Kurdish-led area known as Rojava, officially the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, became not only a front line in the fight against ISIS but also a testing ground for a new social order in which women took unprecedented leadership roles.

When ISIS militants advanced on Syrian towns a decade ago, Kurdish communities found themselves under siege. Out of this existential threat rose the Women’s Protection Units, or YPJ, an all-female branch of the Syrian Democratic Forces. Their presence on the battlefield quickly became one of the most powerful symbols of resistance against the extremist group’s brutality and its rigid ideology that reduced women to property. The YPJ fighters, often young women from small villages, took up arms to defend their homes, families, and cultural identity. Their role in battles such as the 2014 siege of Kobane captured global attention and marked a turning point for the women’s movement in the region.

Beyond the front lines, the participation of women in defense units ignited a broader social revolution. With ISIS pushed back, local leaders began to formalize the idea of gender equality into governance. Rojava’s system introduced co-leadership for every administrative position—one man and one woman sharing equal authority. Women’s councils were created to oversee public matters, while new legal frameworks outlawed practices such as child marriage, forced marriage, and polygamy. Honor killings were reclassified as serious crimes, and women were guaranteed equal representation in all political institutions.

Mural celebrating women’s rights in Qamishli, Rojava. Photo by Antonio Graceffo.

This transformation drew from the region’s long-standing Kurdish political philosophy known as “democratic confederalism,” which promotes decentralization, communal decision-making, and the liberation of women as central to social freedom. The theory, introduced by Kurdish thinker Abdullah Öcalan, proposed that a free society could not exist without the freedom of women. In practice, these ideas took root through grassroots organizations such as Kongra Star, which worked to expand women’s participation in public life and to educate communities about equality and justice.

The progress was not limited to Kurdish women alone. Arab, Christian, and Assyrian communities in the region also began adopting similar structures, appointing female co-chairs in local councils and encouraging joint participation in rebuilding efforts. This multiethnic cooperation has made Rojava one of the most diverse and socially experimental areas in Syria, even as conflict and political uncertainty continue to threaten its existence.

Education became a cornerstone of this new system. Schools in Rojava began integrating gender equality lessons into their curricula, while adult literacy and vocational programs provided opportunities for women who had been previously confined to domestic roles. Women’s houses—known as “Mala Jin”—were established in nearly every town, offering mediation, legal aid, and shelter for victims of domestic violence. Through these institutions, women gained access to resources, training, and a platform to participate in community decision-making.

Despite the progress, life in Rojava remains far from stable. The region is still caught between competing powers—Syrian government forces, Turkish military operations, and various militias vying for influence. Economic challenges, blockades, and ongoing security threats test the sustainability of its social reforms. Yet, even under these conditions, the administrative councils and civil society groups continue to prioritize gender equality as a foundation for the region’s stability and resilience.

Today, women in Rojava serve as lawmakers, judges, soldiers, teachers, and community leaders. Many credit the fight against ISIS as the catalyst that transformed social roles and opened the path for legal reform. What began as an act of defense evolved into a movement for dignity and equal participation—a movement that continues to shape daily life in one of the most war-torn parts of the world.

 Implications

🇺🇸 1. Proof That Courage and Self-Reliance Change Society — Not Top-Down Bureaucracy

From a conservative or libertarian lens, the empowerment of Kurdish women didn’t come from “U.N. resolutions” or “gender programs funded by NGOs.”
It came from self-reliance, courage, and voluntary action — women taking up arms to defend their homes, families, and faith communities from ISIS.
That fits a right-leaning idea: real freedom and equality arise from individual responsibility and merit, not government mandates.

⚔️ 2. The Importance of a Strong Defense Against Radical Islamism

The Kurdish women fighters (YPJ) represent the frontline in the global fight against jihadist extremism — something right-leaning audiences often emphasize as a moral and security duty.
Their victory in Kobane and beyond showed that Western-backed training and support for local allies can be effective when those allies share a strong sense of moral purpose and self-discipline.

🕊️ 3. Women’s Empowerment Rooted in Duty, Not Victimhood

Unlike Western “gender ideology” movements, Rojava’s female fighters and leaders don’t present themselves as victims demanding reparations — they define equality as the ability to protect, serve, and lead alongside men.
This reinforces a merit-based, duty-driven model of women’s empowerment that resonates with traditional values of honor, family, and sacrifice — not grievance politics.

⚖️ 4. Cultural Identity and Faith Still Matter

Although the Kurdish-led administration is secular, the article stresses that local traditions, religion, and honor codes weren’t erased — they were reformed to protect women without destroying the social fabric.
That supports a right-leaning view that cultural reform should come from within communities, not be imposed by outside elites or global institutions.

🧱 5. Decentralization and Local Governance Over Central Control

The Rojava system (AANES) practices grassroots self-governance — local councils and community defense units rather than a centralized state.
This echoes small-government principles and skepticism toward authoritarian control — whether from Assad’s regime or from global bureaucracies.
It’s an example of how local autonomy can yield real freedom when citizens are armed, organized, and morally anchored.

🌍 6. Western Policy Lessons: Support Real Allies Who Share Values

The Gateway Pundit piece implies frustration that the West often abandoned its true allies, like the Kurds, while appeasing authoritarian regimes.
From a right-leaning stance, it’s a call for foreign policy grounded in moral clarity — backing those who fight Islamist extremism and respect individual rights, not those who suppress them.

🧭 7. Moral Clarity Over Ideological Confusion

The fight against ISIS clarified who stood for freedom and who stood for tyranny.
Kurdish women weren’t debating pronouns; they were fighting an enemy that sold women into slavery.
That contrast supports a moral, reality-based feminism aligned with courage and family protection — not ideological posturing.

 Overall Takeaway:

The women of Rojava did not wait for international aid agencies or feminist NGOs to grant them equality—they earned it through courage, sacrifice, and a shared sense of duty. Their fight against ISIS was more than a battle for territory; it was a moral stand against tyranny, slavery, and the destruction of their families. By defending their homes and values, these women proved that empowerment is not handed down from governments or global institutions—it is won by individuals who take responsibility for their own freedom. In a world that too often celebrates victimhood over virtue, the story of Rojava reminds us that true liberty is built on strength, faith, and self-reliance.

SOURCES: THE GATEWAY PUNDIT – Reporting from Syria: How the Fight Against ISIS Gained Women’s Rights in Kurdish-led Rojava, Syria