Kurdish women take up arms in fight against ISIL

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Women warriors are nothing new, from the Amazons of Greek mythology to Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, who led a revolt against the Roman Empire in the 3rd century.

Taking part in the front line war against ISIL – an enemy as brutal as anything from history or myth – are the heirs of that martial tradition.

Asmaa Waguih, a photographer for the Reuters news agency, has spent time with the female fighters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), fighting alongside their male comrades from their base on Mount Sinjar.

The area was overrun by ISIL last summer. With its Yazidi population driven from their homes, hundreds were killed and many thousands taken captive.

Yazidis and Kurds now stand alongside each other, fighting to liberate their homes.

Waguih says that the male and female fighters work together side by side.

“All of the fighters, whether women or men, don’t get married, choosing to sacrifice their personal lives for the cause they believe in,” she says,

“Many women I met were from families who were staunch supporters of the PKK, often with other members joining up.

“The fighters were willing to give up having a family of their own to defend their land, dying in the process if necessary.”

newsdesk@thenational.ae