They are the newest group to join the fight against Sunni extremists in Iraq.
SOUNDBITE: Peshmerga Fighter, Laila Khaddar saying (Arabic):
"The fear goes away quickly as soon as you reach the battlefield."
They are members of an all women-unit of the Peshmerga. While the unit has been around since 1996, many here say they decided to join after watching the rapid advance of Islamic State militants across Iraq.
They're all well aware of the danger.
Colonel Faiza Aziz Faikh exchanged gunfire with IS militants in Jalawla.
SOUNDBITE: Colonel Faiza Aziz Faikh saying (Arabic):
''It's fear mixed with boldness and then, the will to defend the country becomes stronger than the fear."
Commander Nahida Rasheed says she's happy to dispell outdated notions about warriors.
Commander Nahida Rasheed saying: (Arabic):
"Kurdish women are not just housewives. We're fighters on the frontline of the Peshmerga, defending our homeland, human rights
