During a six month research project the University of Utrecht and the Women’s Commission in Rojava (northern Syria) investigated the role of women and women’s organisations in peace and security in Rojava.

Gendered Alternatives: The role of women in Rojava from Gendered Alternatives on Vimeo.

Women in Rojava face different threats, mostly related to the ongoing conflict in Syria, the weak economy, and sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). Women in Rojava are active in local governance, social services and security and are trying to address these threats. Women are participating in a co-chair system, safe houses to project survivors of SGBV have been established, and women are participating in security provision, namely in the local police and military. Although their presence in these roles is generally positively received by the local population in the Cizire Canton, traditional cultural norms are prevalent. Moreover, humanitarian and development aid is limited because of regional and geopolitical political tensions, endangering women and women’s organizations in Rojava. During this project, the researchers have informed the ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministry of Defense, law-makers and NGOs, about the role women and non-state actors play in conflict settings and how policies can be bettered tailored to women’s needs in Rojava.