Since the start of the war of aggression on January 6, women and their institutions have been systematically attacked, led by the Syrian Transitional Government and the Turkish state. An integration agreement between the Transitional Government and the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria prevented a larger war. The achievements of the revolution are being defended, no longer primarily militarily, but diplomatically, culturally, and socially.
Negotiations regarding education and language, the YPJ (Women’s Protection Units), the co-chair system, funding, recognition and the constitutional entrenchment of women’s rights are proceeding incrementally. However, the Transitional Government rejects women’s rights, women’s political and social participation, societal diversity, the right to self-defence, and thus the integration of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) into the Syrian army.
In various statements the YPJ declared its commitment to the future of a democratic and free Syria, to securing its existence and the defence of all women and society within the integration process and negotiations, and called for support for this struggle. On 26 April 2026, women’s organisations from Rojava launched the global solidarity campaign “We are all YPJ” to give a strong international voice to this demands:
1. Recognition of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) within the Syrian Ministry of Defence.
2. The preservation of the Women’s Protection Units’ structure in the Rojava regions.
3. Protection and consolidation of women’s achievements in Rojava
4. Release of detainees, return of the bodies of martyrs, and revealing the fate of the missing women
5. Support Women’s Protection Units’ integration by relevant international actors
6. Strengthening women’s participation in military and security institutions
As the “Women Defend Rojava” campaign, we stand behind the demands of the women’s movements from Rojava and Syria and heed the call to defend the existence of the YPJ. We are declaring our participation in the campaign and are calling on all democratic forces, particularly women’s movements and organisations worldwide, to join us in this effort.
Self-defence is our natural right and it is all the more necessary in a world increasingly driven by patriarchal wars over power, resources, and economic, military and ideological dominance. We women, our societies and our children are the ones who lose the most in these wars. We are made into victims and burdened with the heaviest consequences, yet our perspective is not included in political and military decisions, nor are our voices and strength recognised in the creation of peace, democracy and healthy societies within peace and justice processes.
Over the past decade, the YPJ Women’s Defence Units have demonstrated through their struggles, sacrifices and victories that women have the power to stand up for themselves and their society. They have successfully fought against jihadist forces such as ISIS and their misogynistic ideology. They have raised awareness and boosted confidence within their society, demonstrating that women are the strongest force in military, political and social spheres when it comes to building democratic structures. They have upheld ethical and moral standards in war and set benchmarks for ethics and justice in their society. They have transformed themselves as women, moving from the position of an oppressed nation to becoming pioneers of a social revolution. In doing so, they served as an example for many women in Kurdistan and the Middle East, inspiring them to fight persistently for women’s liberation with confidence in their own strength, their own consciousness, education and organisation.
They became our idols, inspiring us to be tenacious and strong in our own struggles. Today, it is our duty to stand by them. Not just in solidarity. For defending ourselves against the daily violence and sexist attacks in our everyday lives, in the family, at work, and in the media, and for protecting the social significance of women and the achievements of the women’s movement’s struggles over the past centuries. This is today a bitter necessity and the task of us all.
On the occasion of the YPJ’s anniversary, we send our warmest and most solidarity-filled greetings to all female fighters. We remember and pay tribute to all female martyrs, particularly the internationalist martyrs such as Anna Campbell and Ivana Hoffmann, as well as all the women worldwide who have given their lives in the struggle for their own and their society’s rights and freedom. Following in their footsteps, keeping their dreams alive and continuing their struggles is a constant source of motivation and a mission for us. In this spirit, we are calling on all women’s movements, organisations, and democratic forces worldwide to stand firmly and in diverse ways alongside the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ).
We are all YPJ! Self-defence is our natural right!
☆ ☆ ☆
How can you participate in the campaign?
– Send us a short video stating your support for the campaign to [email protected]
– Join the #WeAreAllYPJ hashtag campaign on 09.05.2026 starting at 7:00pm CET.
– Share the campaign through your networks and social media. Use the published spots and materials or create your own.
– Use the campaign slogan, as well as the WomenDefendRojava logo.
– Use YPJ symbols such as flags, scarves and braided hair.
– Organise events, seminars and actions in your cities and regions, and let us know about them.
-Spread knowledge of the history, struggles and significance of the YPJ, as well as the achievements of the women’s revolution.
– Focus in particular on topics such as self-defence.
– Form your own self-defence units and announce this publicly.
– Write to us about the significance of the YPJ for your struggles.
– Organise film screenings. You can find suggestions for films below.
– Initiate or develop artistic actions, theatre performances or songs.
– Participate in online events, share them or organise your own.
– Meet with local politicians, members of parliament, human rights advocates, lawyers, academics or public figures, and encourage them to support the campaign and its demands through their work or by lending their name.
– Inform local and national media about this campaign. We will connect you with interview partners.
– Follow our media channels and stay informed about upcoming events in your region.
Film screenings for YPJ
A good way to spread the meaning and spirit of YPJ is to organize film screenings. Here are some proposals for movies:
☆ Kobane (2022)
☆ Letters from Shengal (2022) directed by Dersim Zerevan
☆ HÊZA (2022):https://heza-film.com/on-movie/
☆ Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War & Freedom (2018) http://www.albasotorra.com/film/commander-arian/#undefined
☆ Jiyan’s Story : Women’s Revolution https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oEQEidgcMhU
You can contact the film makers to get the whole movie, as some of them are not online.
Our media channels
Women Defend Rojava:
Website: womendefendrojava.net
Instagram: Women_Defend_Rojava
Telegram: t.me/womendefend
Kongra Star
Website: kongra-star.org/eng/
X: @starrcongress
Facebook: Kongra Star Women’s movement
YPJ
Website: ypj-info.org/
X: @YPJ_info
Telegram:t.me/YPJInformation
Youtube: @YPJ_info
YPJ-Press:
Website: ypjrojava.net/en/
Young International Women
Instagram: younginternationalistwomen
