In North and East Syria, the war is no longer only a struggle over territory; it has also become a space where identities and senses of belonging intersect, and where, in particular, the role of women and their place in society are tested.
As attacks of annihilation against Kurds by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), ISIS, and Turkey-backed armed groups spread across North and East Syria, these groups continued to commit war crimes against women.
The story of Narîn Axîn is one of the striking examples of women’s resistance, identity conflicts, and social transformation within the complex conflict environment in the region. An Arab fighter from the city of Manbij, Narîn rejected traditional norms and joined the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), symbolizing both her own struggle for liberation and the severe violations faced by women in the region.
During the recent fighting in the region, footage and testimonies exposing violations against women fighters during clashes and attacks involving the Syrian transitional government, ISIS, and Turkey-backed armed groups drew widespread public attention.
Narîn Axîn and a fellow Arab female fighter from Manbij, Amara Întîqam, came into the spotlight in January when footage circulated showing them being captured in Deir ez-Zor and presented as a “gift” to Abu Mujahid.
Describing her decision to join the YPJ in 2022 as a turning point in her life, Narîn Axîn stated that she took this step with the determination to break out of traditional constraints, saying: “I wanted to break the imposed traditional mindset and way of life and become a fighter defending my country.”
The YPJ fighter expressed that her participation in the struggle became a process of redefining herself, and that she found the opportunity to understand herself and build a new identity within the YPJ.
Narîn emphasized that she found a new space for herself within the ranks of the YPJ, where she experienced not only a military transformation but also a personal one. Later assigned to Deir ez-Zor with the responsibility of protecting women in the region, Narîn described that period as follows “After I went to Deir ez-Zor, events changed rapidly. I was captured by armed groups and tribes affiliated with the transitional government. I was also Arab, and I was captured by my own people. Everyone saw in the footage taken at the moment of our capture how we were described as a ‘gift to Abu Mujahid.’”
Maintaining her inner resistance throughout her two months in captivity, Narîn said: “They thought they would crush us and destroy the meaning and will of women—but no. During the days I was imprisoned, I always told myself: I will get out of here and return to the place where I found myself, to the ranks of the YPJ. I never lost hope.”
Narin regained her freedom through a prisoner exchange on March 19, along with seven women in total, three of them fighters. She described the moment of reuniting with her comrades as “one of the happiest moments of my life.”
Now, once again in the ranks of the YPJ in her military uniform, Narîn Axîn delivered a strong message to all women in struggle: “Political, civilian, or military… I call out to all women resisting in prisons: keep your belief in yourselves strong. There were those who called me a ‘gift’ during my captivity, but today I stand before you, in my military uniform, upright and strong.”