Kurdish female peshmerga fighters have been active during battles against the Islamic State (IS). According to the female troops’ leaders based in the Sulaimaniyah governorate, Kurdish female fighters have been on the front lines in the battles against IS.

The military participation of women is not something new in the history of Kurds. At first, few women joined the ranks of fighters, while some used to dress up as men. However, when women had been allowed to enroll in the army, they used to provide services outside the battlefield such as medical aid and administrative and communication tasks. Their army work was limited to the support of war efforts, not combat-related duties.

Nevertheless, radical groups such as IS are imposing fundamental rules, especially against women, by calling for the implementation of radical measures such as female genital mutilation, imposition of the niqab and veil, marrying off women against their will and promoting sexual jihad in all areas and regions under the organization’s control. Hence, the female regiment of the Kurdish peshmerga in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq — which was established in 1996 — took the decision to fight against this hard-line group, warding off a possible attack in Kurdish areas.

The peshmerga female regiment consists of four battalions and one commander for every brigade. The ranks include officers and noncommissioned officers, while the highest ranks are held by female colonels, who serve as the regiment commanders.