Cudi Qamışlo is an Arab woman who joined the Free Women’s Units (YJA STAR) in 2019. She has spoken about how her life as an Arab woman has changed since joining the movement.
“They did not value women in Deir Ez-Zur [Dêrazor] where I grew up”, she said. “When a young girl grows up, they marry her off without giving her any other option. Girls cannot leave the house until they marry”.
But now Qamışlo’s life has changed dramatically. “When I joined the movement I realised that women are valued regardless of age within the movement. We can join the combat, we can talk many about many things and respond”.
Qamışlo was impressed that there are people from various nations and geographies within the movement. She thinks that this is because of the power of leader Abdullah Öcalan’s ideology. “When I joined, I saw that there are Arabs, Germans, British women… Since the ideology of our leader is for the whole world”.
