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Kurdish Girl Soldiers: Heroines or Victims in Syria's Civil War?

They may be hailed as symbols of equality, but harsh reports from human rights groups say some young women are being forced into military service

A photo of Dr. Zvi Bar'el.
Zvi Bar'el
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A photo of Dr. Zvi Bar'el.
Zvi Bar'el

What does a 16-year-old Kurdish girl do when she lives in one of the Kurdish districts of Syria? Usually what any girl her age does. She goes to school, posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and helps her mother around the house. But there are also girls who find themselves, willingly or forcibly, on a national mission. They are drafted or voluntarily enlist in the women’s People’s Defense Forces (YPG).

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