Canadian former model Hanna Tiger Böhman joined the Kurdish all-female military units, the YPJ, to fight so-called Islamic State in northern Syria.

‘It’s not just a battle against the extremist group, but a longer struggle for women's rights, she told in a BBC interview.

Although she says that being labelled as a former model in insulting to her because it was a career she never made a life out of, was very sexist and that it was not going in the direction she had hoped for, reports standardmedia.co.ke.

In her own words she says ‘Just because you are a woman and you are willing to take up a weapon and fight for something you believe in does not mean you are any less of a woman. You can still be a feminine girl and enjoy all those parts of you.’

Going back to the Middle East for her was special because she wanted to help people succeed, be the change she wanted to see in the world. However, she did warn anyone who is willing to join the defence forces that they should be comfortable with the idea that they could to die.