[11] Women have been involved in Syrian Kurdish Resistance fighting since as early as 2011, when the mixed-sex YXG was founded, later to be renamed YPG in 2012.

[12] The YPJ was founded as a strictly women's organization on 4 April 2013[12] with the first battalion formed in Jindires[13] and later expanded its activities towards the Kobane and Jazira cantons.

[16] In the Syrian civil war, the YPJ and the YPG have fought against various groups in northern Syria, including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and were involved in the defense of Kobanî during the Siege of Kobanî[17] beginning in March 2014, with various Kurdish media agencies reporting that "YPJ troops have become vital in the battle".

[18] In the Siege of Kobanî, prior to receiving the support of Western powers, the YPJ was forced to hold off ISIL attacks using only "vintage Russian Kalashnikovs bought on the black market, handmade grenades, and tanks they put together out of construction vehicles and pick-up trucks.

[11] Additionally, the YPG, YPJ and the PKK were involved in an August 2014 military operation at Mount Sinjar, where up to as many as 10,000 Yazidis were rescued from genocide at the hands of ISIL.

[23] Along with the help of US air strikes, the attacking force was able to create a 30 kilometres (19 mi) safe zone for the Yazidi refugees to escape ISIL capture.

[11] The YPJ was involved in battles such as the SDF offensive against the major IS strongholds in Tabqa and Raqqa, serving as the main proxy[25] force (along with the YPG) for the United States.

[26] During Operation Olive Branch, the Turkish offensive against Afrin Canton, YPJ units were again heavily involved in the fighting.

[28] The YPJ is politically aligned to the PYD, which bases its philosophy on the writings of Abdullah Öcalan,[29] the leading ideologue in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), who is imprisoned by Turkey.

The PKK established its first all-female units of guerrillas in 1995, stating that in order to "break down gender roles solidified by centuries, women had to be on their own.

Having joined the YPJ, women must spend at least a month practicing military tactics and studying the political theories of Öcalan, including Jineology.

In contrast to men, who can go home every ten days, the rules for women's visits are more flexible, as YPJ makes its own decisions based on their unique perspectives and priorities.

[54] This comes despite a 2014 agreement made with the human rights group Geneva Call promising an end to recruitment of soldiers under the age of 18.