Kolan and other women live in a small office at the foot of Sinjar mountain; she works in media relations and has filmed a number of training sessions. Most of the days, when they're not working at their assigned tasks, the young women here spend their time cleaning or cooking or learning more about the PKK's philosophy, by listening to speeches and broadcasts.
“I have learned that as a woman I too have rights as well as duties,” Kolan says. “My role isn't just to wear make up and dresses and get men to like me. I learned that my role also involves protecting myself and my people. When they need me on the battle front though, I will be ready.”
The all-female units belonging to the PKK have strict rules and regulations. One of the best known is the one that forbids any romantic relationships between male and female soldiers. This applies to the Yazidi women recruits too. However one of the PKK rules that doesn't apply is the one about being able to leave the group's service; basically once you join the PKK you are in the group for life - or you risk being labelled a traitor.
“But because we are working in their territories, we can't apply our own rules so strictly,” Hadar explains. “So every Yazidi woman has the right to join us but she also has the right to leave whenever she wants to – although we would certainly try and convince her to stay and fight for her homeland.”
Those Yazidi women who have decided they are in it for the long run say they want to do more than see the defeat of the IS group. “Our task ends when we can create a free society where there is equality between men and women and where we have social justice,” says Hazel firmly.
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