The Consulate General of the Netherlands and the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs (MoPA) on Monday held the photo exhibition “Women in the Peshmerga” for the second time, honoring women in the Peshmerga through a series of powerful photographs at Salahaddin University-Erbil. 

The exhibition shows the diverse roles women play in the Peshmerga. From front-line operations to leadership, logistics, and support, it explores their experiences, challenges, and achievements within the armed services. 

“This exhibition aims to honor their service and inspire dialogue about equality of women and men in rights and duties,” Colonel Arjen Buma, the Dutch Military Advisor to the Consulate General of the Netherlands, told Kurdistan Chronicle.

“Following the successful photo exhibition in the Citadel, it was a great opportunity to move the exhibition to the College of Political Science of Salahaddin University. By connecting photography, storytelling, and politics, this initiative will deepen public understanding and hopefully inspire young people to progress toward inclusiveness in different branches, including in the security sector,” Col. Buma added.

The Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, the UK, and the United States are part of the Multinational Advisory Group, which supports the Peshmerga unification process. This also includes promoting gender equality, with the MoPA aiming to increase female participation from 1% to 6%.

“The equality of Peshmerga women and men in rights and duties is one of the goals formulated in the memorandum of understanding between the global coalition and the Kurdistan Region Government,” Col. Buma added. “The Netherlands is one of the driving forces behind this particular project.

“Across the globe, women play vital yet often under-recognized roles in peacebuilding, national defence, and internal security. In the Kurdistan Region, women have long demonstrated courage and leadership within the Peshmerga and other security structures. However, their representation in decision-making, training, and strategic planning remains limited,” he concluded.

The event was also attended by individuals from the other member countries of the coalition against ISIS, including Germany, Italy, and others.

A female German officer told Kurdistan Chronicle that she feels that “women in the Peshmerga are not yet fully integrated into the ranks. This exhibition shows that they can be part of it, that they should be part of it, and that this is the future.”

Asked whether women’s participation rates are higher in European armies, the German officer noted that there are still some issues. “While many women are already part of the German armed forces, this is still a process. The image of a soldier is often not yet associated with a female soldier, and that picture is still missing in people’s minds. 

Exhibitions like this can help change that, especially for younger people and children, by showing that when you talk about a soldier, it can be female or male – it doesn’t actually matter.”

“To show that women – regardless of which army in the world – can significantly advance the armed forces, in my view, greatly benefits the military,” another female German officer added. 

“In Germany, for example, if you look back at the early days when women were not yet very present, including in the infantry, the tone and culture were different. I believe everything has benefited from women being there – the way people work together, the interaction, and dealing with prejudices.”

Read More: Dutch Consulate Honors Peshmerga Women in Photo Exhibition

At the first exhibition at the Erbil citadel in September, Dutch Army Colonel Linda Kapelle told Kurdistan Chronicle that the Netherlands’ Ministry of Defense has long aimed for a 30% target for female participation in the workforce by 2030, but that the current figure stands at 18%.

Narin Burhan, a female officer from the MoPA, congratulated the Consulate General of the Netherlands on organizing the event. “Naturally, the role of women is not less than that of men. It shows women alongside men on the front lines of war, in fighting, and in all fields in which they participate – just like women all over the world.”

Some voices within Kurdish society argue that women should not be on the battlefield, and instead stay at home.

Burhan said the exhibition “is a response to all those who say that women have no role, no participation, that women do nothing on the battlefields or in military affairs. On the contrary, what is happening in Western Kurdistan (northern Syria) shows that it is women who are defending the land and the homeland. Kurds everywhere defend their land, and women are participating alongside everyone else.”

She added that it is “ true that women have a role in the home and with children at certain stages, but that does not mean women do not have roles in the security forces, in institutions, and in all areas of work.” 

“There are indeed some tasks that can only be done by women. Women can play a stronger role; they are ready, and this is something very positive. In the MoPA, we can say there is a very capable group of women who carry out these tasks, and their positions and roles are clear. There are some places where it is necessary for women to be present – for conducting searches of women at checkpoints, for example.”