YPJ Commander-in-Chief Rohilat Afrin stated that while Damascus has opened channels for women to join the police force under the Ministry of Interior (MOI), it has rejected their inclusion in the military under the Ministry of Defense (MOD). “The foundation of their position is that there is no role for women in the Syrian military,” Afrin said, speaking to the Kurdish Peace Institute on June 16, 2026. The YPJ command is currently demanding that its approximately 2,000 fighters be allowed to join the four Syrian army brigades established for former SDF personnel under the January 29, 2026, integration deal. They also seek constitutional guarantees for equal participation in all areas of public life, including security and defense.
International partners, including the United States, have proposed a compromise: integrating the YPJ into the MOI rather than the army. Afrin noted that U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack’s team suggested the YPJ could be organized as a specialized group within internal security forces to protect the unit’s existence while respecting sensitivities within the new army’s command structure, which is predominantly Arab and drawn from conservative groups such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. On August 26, the YPJ General Command met with Interior Minister Anas Khattab in Damascus. The YPJ described the meeting as positive, with both sides affirming the possibility of the units continuing as a “special and organized force” within the Ministry of Interior.
The YPJ was established in 2012 or 2013, depending on the source, in the Kurdish-majority regions of northern and eastern Syria. At its peak, the force comprised over 20,000 combatants and played a decisive role in the fight against ISIS, including the liberation of Raqqa and the rescue of Yazidi women. Beyond its military function, the YPJ became a symbol of gender equality in the region. Syria’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Hind Qabawat, has advocated for increased female participation in government structures, noting that lasting peace is impossible without women in decision-making processes. However, these stances have not yet translated into concrete policy for the armed forces.
UN Security Council Resolution 1325 encourages governments to increase women’s participation in security institutions, and studies suggest such inclusion enhances military effectiveness and public trust. YPJ Spokeswoman Ruksen Mohamed warned that exclusion from the military could lead to broader marginalization of women in civilian life. “In the 21st century, in any armed force or any institution where women are excluded, you will see violations of women’s rights,” Afrin said. For many Syrian Kurds, the YPJ symbolizes resistance and community defense; their exclusion risks undermining trust in the state reconstruction process and straining relations between Damascus and the autonomous regions of northeastern Syria.
Negotiations continue over the precise legal and operational status of the YPJ within the new state structures. The next step involves formalizing the terms of integration, whether through the MOI or a yet-to-be-defined military role, a decision that will determine the future of thousands of veteran female fighters.
