April 2024 | Page 18

JM : How did you come across them ?

GPD : They are all over the web , and also have been on US news . And of course they are very much notable for their courageous role in the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS ).” For me , this is important .

JM : Do they blend in with male soldiers , or are they together in an allfemale group offighters ?

GPD : These women basically train with other women , but men also have joined , just as people really from all over have joined this cause .

JM : Is it new for women to be in the Peshmerga , or have they had a combat role for some time ?

GPD : Women have always fought - - this isn ' t new . These women have been fighting oppression for a long time .

JM : The U . S . is just now starting to allow women in combat roles for the first time . I believe the U . S . is very late to allowing women to serve in this way ; other countries have allowed it for a long time .

GPD : Almost all countries train women young ; however , this group is quite different .

JM : In what way ?

GPD : In the sense that their main cause is to wipe out Isis . ISIS fears these women very much . As innocent in uniform as they appear , ISIS is terrified of these women .