Women As a Legitimacy-Building Tool in US Foreign Policy: The Case of Women’s Protection Units (YPJ)

Studies regarding women in the US foreign policy mainly concentrate on place of with a particular attention to institutions that play significant role making process such as Congress, State Department and National Security Council. They analyze roles, positions responsibilities policy-making through gender-based approaches. While roles or influence is quite an important topic, there also raising question whether might find themselves legitimacy-building tool which circumstances could have agenda. This article purposes investigate why militarist Kurdish organization, YPJ (Yekineyen Parastina Jin, Women’s Protection Units) can for itself Data has been collected textual content analysis mainstream newspapers, Washington Post, New York Times Wall Street Journal, pieces think-tanks regard its counterterrorism strategy against ISIS (Islamic Iraq Al-Sham) addition related media outlets academic literature over topic. The argues administrations used legitimacy their counter-ISIS Syria by locating it broader objective, democracy promotion Middle East. indicates worked ground partners like YPG Gel, People’s context military-based security-prioritized alliance instead having external military intervention. Although ideological differences between YPJ, images heroes/warriors bravely fight helped overcome utilize legitimizing objectives Syria.