Came to fight, stayed for the freedom: why more Kurdish women are taking up arms

All-female militias in Syria have swelled in numbers in response to Turkish incursions. The comradeship and life outside traditional gender roles is proving appealing to many

Zeynab Serekaniye, a Kurdish woman with a gap-toothed smile and a warm demeanor, never imagined she'd join a militia.

The 26-year-old grew up in Ras al-Ayn, a town in north-east Syria. The only girl in a family of five, she liked to fight and wear boys' clothing. But when her brothers got to attend school and she did not, Serekaniye did not challenge the decision. She knew it was the reality for girls in the region. Ras al-Ayn, Arabic for head of the spring", was a green and placid place, so Serekaniye settled down to a life of farming vegetables with her mother.