There has been taking place a remarkable increase in the number of Êzîdî women joining the ranks of the Kurdish Liberation Movement after the massacres committed by the ISIS in Sinjar following its occupation of the area on 3 August.

Nine Êzîdî women who took refuge in the Newroz camp in Rojava built for the people fleeing the assaults of ISIS on Sinjar, have joined the guerrilla ranks in order to take part in the defense of themselves, their people and lands.

The Êzîdî women said that women must organize themselves in order to become free from men’s mercy, calling on all Êzîdî women to join the guerrilla ranks in order not to face this kind of massacre again.

One of them, Bêrîvan Şengal, said “Nine of us have joined the guerrilla ranks. Just like all the women, we would also think that we were safe under male rule at home. We were thinking that men and the peshmerga would protect us. During the Sinjar siege, men also fled, leaving their arms just like the peshmerga. Women couldn’t defend themselves in the face of ISIS assaults as they were not yet aware of their power.”

Sengal added: “After we joined the guerrilla ranks, we have seen how the women organize themselves and become powerful”.

Berivan said it will be the Êzîdî women who will take revenge for the massacre in Sinjar and that they will be leading it and added: “We will empower ourselves through high level participation. We will take revenge for the women abducted in Sinjar. We will develop ourselves as militants to become able to do this”.