YPJ members begin working under Syria's Interior Ministry as part of wider efforts to integrate SDF forces into state institutions.
Members of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ) have begun working within a force affiliated with the Syrian Interior Ministry, as part of ongoing arrangements to integrate the forces and institutions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syrian state institutions, sources close to the matter told The New Arab.
No official announcement has yet been made explaining the nature of the move or the organisational structure of the new force.
The sources said Friday that members of the Women's Protection Units are now working within a formation affiliated with the Interior Ministry.
The move comes as part of the reorganisation of security and military formations that previously operated under the Autonomous Administration in northeastern Syria (AANES).
Details have yet to emerge regarding the number of members covered by the new arrangements, the nature of the tasks they will be assigned, or whether they will work within specialised women's police units or be distributed among the ministry's departments according to their specialisations and areas of deployment.
The Women's Protection Units were established in 2013 as a women's military force, and later joined the SDF after the latter was established in 2015.
Over the past years, the units fought several battles against the Islamic State group (IS), particularly in al-Hol, Tel Koçer, al-Shaddadi, Manbij, Raqqa and the countryside of Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria.
The units gained a prominent presence during the war against the IS as a women's military formation that took part in combat operations alongside the SDF.
Its members also undertook tasks to protect sites, institutions and areas under the control of the autonomous administration.
According to its own definition, the unit's structure is not limited to military training.
It says it combines military training with intellectual, political, cultural and social training, with a particular focus on women's issues.
The transfer of members of the Women's Protection Units to the Interior Ministry opens the door to a shift in the tasks these members could undertake, from military to police and security work.
Potential tasks in which the Interior Ministry could use female personnel include dealing with women and children and searching women at border crossings and security centres; protecting some facilities; as well as working in community policing, prisons and rehabilitation centres and combating certain crimes that require female security personnel.
But a transition from military to police work would require, if formally adopted, retraining and rehabilitating the members in the laws and procedures governing security work.
These include criminal investigations, dealing with detainees, prison administration and community policing.
The integration of the members into the Interior Ministry would also effectively mean placing them under the ministry's administrative and security structure, official chain of command, and the systems and laws in force at state institutions.
This differs from the nature of their previous work within a military formation affiliated with the SDF.
The move comes amid a broader process to restructure forces and institutions affiliated with the SDF, following agreements with Damascus on integrating the forces and institutions into the Syrian state.
The integration is not limited to military forces.
It also includes security, administrative and service institutions that operated in areas under the control of the autonomous administration, requiring the roles of personnel and employees working within them to be redefined according to the structure of the Syrian state.
The Women's Protection Units have extensive field experience accumulated since their establishment in 2013, particularly during battles against the Islamic State.
Its participation in battles in Raqqa, Manbij, al-Shaddadi and Deir Ezzor formed a key part of its military presence.
However, the nature of police work differs from military work, making the transfer of this experience to Interior Ministry institutions dependent on training and rehabilitation programmes that determine the specialisations the members will take on.
The integration process will also require determining ranks, job titles, appointment mechanisms and deployment locations, as well as establishing a clear framework for tasks and powers.
These details have not yet been officially announced.
If women's units are established within the Interior Ministry, the presence of female personnel who have received military training and gained field experience could provide a pool of personnel for these units, particularly in areas that require a female presence within security agencies.
Information obtained exclusively by The New Arab indicates that work within the Interior Ministry has already begun for some members of the Women's Protection Units.
However, the nature of the move still requires an official announcement clarifying its legal and organisational framework.
This makes the future of the Women's Protection Units directly linked to the final formula adopted by the state for integrating formations affiliated with the SDF.
Rather than continuing as a separate military force, its experience and members could be transferred to state institutions, with a change in the tasks they undertake.
The transfer of YPJ members to the Interior Ministry represents a notable shift in the trajectory of a women's force established during the Syrian war to operate on the front lines, as it now faces the possibility of working within an official security institution affiliated with the Syrian state.
Pending an official announcement on the details of the integration process, the key question remains what form this force will take within the Interior Ministry.
It also remains to be seen whether its members will work within specialised women's units or be integrated into the ministry's various departments, what tasks they will be assigned and what stages of training they will undergo for police work.
The inclusion of Women's Protection Units members within the Interior Ministry, if the current arrangements are completed, is part of the broader transformation underway in the military and security structure of northeastern Syria.
This comes as formations that emerged during the years of war gradually move into Syrian state institutions.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.
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