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Kurdish society is patriarchal, and while Kurdish women are increasingly educated and represented in the workplace and office, they still have a long way to go to achieve equality.
Kurdish society is conservative compared to some western cultures, but many argue that it is less so than other communities in their host communities. [1]
Kurdish women are still victim to female genital mutilation and honor killings, and female suicide rates are very high and oft-uninvestigated. [2]
Kurdish female soldiers contribute to the overall narrative of Kurdish women. They portray themselves as tough, scrappy, and willing to do whatever necessary to defend their people and culture.
As of late with the war on ISIS, Kurdish women soldiers fuel a glamour about the Kurdish independence movement and it’s gender equality. Oftentimes pictures and videos of female fighters are used in the Kurdish milita groups internent activism, and arguably helps recruit foreigners to join the fight against ISIS. [3][4]
Both the PYD in Syria and the PKK in Turkey require co-chairs, where one women and one man must occupy. This is part of an intricate quota system to encourage greater gender equality in Kurdish politics. [5]
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