The gates of Jinwar, a women-only commune in Syria, are guarded by a mother wielding a rifle and a walkie-talkie. Inside, about 30 mud-brick houses sit amid gardens bursting with flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees - a colorful oasis in the dusty landscape near Qamishli. Opened in 2018, Jinwar has become a refuge for Kurdish, Arab, and Yazidi women fleeing war, abusive marriages, or simply the institution of marriage itself. The commune describes itself as 'a place for women who want to live a free life with other women and children, women who do not want to get married, women who lost their husbands in war or who were facing violence in their families.' Residents cultivate their own food - aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, and garlic - because nothing says liberation like growing your own dinner.

Photographer Matteo Trevisan documents life here and at other female-led communities in Syria's north-east, capturing a rare pocket of peace in a country that's seen more than its share of war. The women of Jinwar have created a self-sufficient society, proving that you don't need men to run a village - just a good harvest and a sturdy gate.