In northeast Syria, a unique female-led commune offers a peaceful sanctuary for women fleeing war and domestic hardship.
The village of Jinwar, near Qamishli, was established in 2018 and now houses about 25 residents and their children from Kurdish, Arab, and Yazidi backgrounds.
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The settlement features around 30 self-built mud-brick houses. Residents cultivate their own food, manage livestock, and run a local school.
External male visitors are allowed during daylight hours but cannot stay overnight.
Many residents lost their husbands in the war against the Islamic State or escaped abusive domestic situations. Welat, a 55-year-old resident, arrived after separating from her husband.
“Life wasn’t going well,” she says. “I could barely get by.”
After discovering the commune, she attended Kurdish-language classes and joined community watch duties. “Here I found myself – my true self,” she says.
Welat emphasizes the psychological support among mothers. “The mothers work side by side.
The relationships among women are beautiful. The psychological environment is good, the spirit very high.”
She hopes the model inspires global awareness of female empowerment. “I want all the mothers of the world to be aware of their own strength,” she says.
“If they have strength, they have freedom.”
Finding Community After Loss
Nujîn Mihemed, 57, relocated to Jinwar after her husband’s death and severe social isolation. “I suffered a great deal.
I endured a lot of hardship. Both because of so-called ‘morality’ and because of society,” she says.
