Ranjini reminisces with a mix of nostalgia and regret about her years fighting in Sri Lanka's civil war as a former company commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), popularly known as the Tamil Tigers.

The 54-year-old recalls the camaraderie and sense of purpose felt during the conflict, even as she still struggles to find her place in a post-war society. Because of her crippling battle injuries, Ranjini limps, and can use only one arm.

"The sacrifices … the promises of a Tamil homeland remain unrealized. Somehow, I feel I am better prepared for death than for life," she told DW.

Ranjini lives in rural Kilinochchi, once a stronghold of the LTTE, with her 18-year-old daughter, Blessiya. She runs a poultry farm to earn a living.

"I only live now to see that she gets a good education and then a job and does not face any stigma," she said.

Ranjini surrendered less than a month before the 30-year-old bloody war ended in May 2009 with the defeat of the LTTE. She spent a year in the northern rehabilitation camp of Vavuniya.

"Many people still view us with distrust, fearing we might still harbor militant tendencies. The initial rejection isolated many women combatants socially, making........

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