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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A hundred Shingal (Sinjar) women will become police as part of the recent Erbil-Baghdad security and administration agreement for the disputed area, according to Shingal mayor Mahma Khalil.
As part of the deal’s new armed force to be created from the local population, Yazidi women in Shingal will serve as police for the first time ever.
“I have registered my name for the Shingal police force. It has been my dream to hold a gun someday, to defend my country, and become police,” said Halaa Jardo, an applicant to the new force.
Many of those expected to take up the role survived horrors under the Islamic State (ISIS).
“It would be very good if we, survivors, become employed by either Iraq or the Kurdistan [Region],” said Dilsoz Mustafa, another applicant.
Many of the applicants’ fathers and brothers Rudaw spoke to support the idea of their relatives joining the force to protect their community.
“In my opinion, there is nothing wrong for Yazidi girls, who are ISIS survivors and non-survivors, to become police. It’s a good thing to have local government from our people,” said Barjas Behdo, father of an applicant to the police force.
Thousands of Yazidi women were captured by the Islamic State group (ISIS) when they overran the district of Shingal, Nineveh province on August 3, 2014. Many were held captive for years, and forced into sexual slavery.
The larger Shingal force will be made up of 2,500 locals.
Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed
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