"Recognizing YPJ will reshape social, political contract in region"

Egyptian writer and journalist Nesreen Ma'touq told ANHA agency that the importance of officially recognizing the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) lies in its ability to reshape the social and political contract not only within the Syrian context but across the entire region.

She noted that political recognition of the YPJ constitutes an acknowledgment that women are essential partners in sovereign decision-making, including in security and defense matters, rather than being limited to service-oriented or secondary roles.

She added that official recognition would transform these units from a force on the ground into an institutional, formally recognized entity within the state structure, granting them political weight not only domestically but also regionally and internationally.

She pointed out that recognition would facilitate the YPJ’s ability to form international partnerships and agreements that could provide training and arms, as well as guarantees for the rights of female fighters in accordance with national laws and relevant international conventions.

At the societal level, the writer emphasized that recognizing the YPJ would break the notion of male monopoly over protection and defense roles, thereby changing society’s perception of women’s physical and leadership capabilities, which would, in turn, boost women’s self-confidence across all fields.

She argued that women’s presence in the security sector would help address issues of domestic and societal violence and create a safer environment for women and children in conflict zones, as well as in areas of fragile stability.

Nesreen Ma'touq also considered that recognition would ensure women’s rights and financial independence by providing salaries, social protections, and pensions, making participation in defending society a formal career path. She added that recognition would inspire future generations of young women to actively engage in public affairs and challenge inherited social constraints.

Transforming achievements into lasting rights

Regarding how official recognition of the YPJ could strengthen women’s gains and ensure their continuity, the writer explained that it would convert field achievements into non-reversible constitutional, legal, and political rights by granting them legal legitimacy. Recognition in the constitution and law would prevent their marginalization or exclusion during the drafting of a final political settlement.

She added that it would also contribute to changing societal awareness, as the presence of women as recognized military leaders would establish a new social reality that breaks traditional constraints and facilitates acceptance of women in sovereign, judicial, and economic positions in the future. Additionally, it would economically empower women by providing a financial framework that ensures their independence and ability to influence their social environment.

YPJ as a guarantee for protecting and securing women’s rights

On ensuring protection against violations or regression in women’s rights, Nesreen Ma'touq stated that official recognition of the YPJ represents the strongest guarantee against backsliding, as it marks a transition from a temporary model or successful experience to a formalized social contract. Without official recognition, women’s rights remain dependent on goodwill promises or unpredictable military developments.

She added that recognition would transform these rights into binding constitutional texts and laws, making any violation against women a direct confrontation with state authority and legal systems, rather than merely a social dispute.

She also stressed that recognition would subject these entities to international oversight and accountability, as officially recognized institutions are bound by international standards and agreements. This would open the door to global human rights monitoring, providing an additional layer of protection against any attempts to roll back gains and ensuring that violators are prosecuted within recognized legal frameworks.

She said: “It transforms empowerment from a temporary condition imposed by war into a permanent legal structure protected from future changes.”

YPJ broke stereotypes about women

Nesreen highlighted the fundamental role of the Women’s Protection Units in consolidating women’s presence in public life over the past years by transforming the image of women from victims into leaders influencing public affairs, breaking stereotypes, and proving women’s competence in military and leadership roles.

She added that the YPJ helped build confidence among women, encouraging them to participate in autonomous administration and local councils. It also contributed to legal protection by supporting the enactment of family laws that promote equality and criminalize violence against women.

Moreover, it created an inspiring model by turning female fighters into global symbols of resistance, motivating thousands of women to engage in institutional and political work. The co-chairmanship system was also implemented and became a fundamental standard in public civil and political life, making women’s presence a condition for the legitimacy of any institution rather than mere token representation.

Consequences of not recognizing "YPJ"

Nesreen warned that failing to officially recognize the YPJ constitutes a structural risk that goes beyond the military dimension, as it threatens to turn all the rights gained by female fighters on the ground into temporary achievements vulnerable to disappearance.

She considered this particularly dangerous, as it would frame women’s struggle as an exceptional case imposed by wartime conditions. This means that once political settlements are reached or a new constitution is drafted, it would become easier to exclude women from negotiation tables and relegate them back to secondary roles under the pretext of returning to normal life.

She also noted that the absence of official recognition could lead to the criminalization of their activities or their classification as unlawful under future political changes, while giving conservative or extremist social forces the opportunity to reassert dominance.

She stated that the lack of recognition could lead to the rollback of women’s gains through simple administrative decisions that might be used as loopholes to undo all achievements.

The Egyptian writer attributed these risks to several factors, including the absence of constitutional legal protection, the possibility of political exclusion, vulnerability to traditional and conservative forces, and the loss of financial independence.

Practical steps to protect women’s gains

Regarding the practical steps required to ensure the protection of women’s gains, in the event that the debate over the recognition of women’s protection units continues, she stressed the need to move to a local constitutional strategy through,

firstly, educational and intellectual empowerment by integrating the concepts of equality and women’s leadership into local educational curricula, and secondly, building networks of economic security by establishing financially independent women’s production cooperatives and labor unions as the first line of defense for women.

Third, she stressed the importance of activating women’s diplomacy by forming independent female civil delegations capable of representing women’s issues in regional and international forums. Fourth, she highlighted the need to document and internationalize all experiences and achievements of the YPJ and women’s councils in global human rights reports, linking these gains to decisions and agreements of international organizations and the United Nations.

Who is Nesreen Ma'touq?

She is an Egyptian writer and journalist active in the fields of women’s, children’s, and family rights. She writes for several Arab websites and newspapers and holds a law degree from Ain Shams University (2000). She also obtained a psychology equivalency from the Faculty of Specific Education as a foundation for specializing in child development, as well as diplomas in behavioral disorders in children and autism studies from Ain Shams University. She is currently working on authoring a book on identity formation, national awareness, and issues related to women and children.

ANHA