GENDER DYNAMICS IN THE WOMEN’S BRIGADES OF THE SYRIAN WAR

Abstract

After the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011, several groups created their own women’s brigades. As a result, there was a rapid rise in the international cove- rage and an unexpected interest from the mass media. The aim of this article is to shed light on this phenomenon within the context of the Arab country. To that end this, the research will make a comparison between the four main groups in the war: Daesh, the Free Syrian Army, the Syrian Kurdish Force and the Assad regime. Finally, the article deals with the gender ideology of these organizati- ons and explains the possible reasons which have led them to have a female presence in their ranks.