Women in Syria constitute 49.4% of
Syria's population, and are active participants not only in everyday life, but also in the socio-political fields.
History
In the 20th century a movement for
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
developed in Syria, made up largely of upper-class, educated women. In 1919,
Naziq al-Abid founded Noor al-Fayha (Light of Damascus), the city's first women's organization, alongside an affiliated publication of the same name. She was made an honorary general of the
Syrian Army after fighting in the
Battle of Maysaloun
The Battle of Maysalun ( ar, معركة ميسلون), also called the Battle of Maysalun Pass or the Battle of Khan Maysalun (french: Bataille de Khan Mayssaloun), was a four-hour battle fought between the forces of the Arab Kingdom of Syria an ...
, and in 1922 she founded the
Syrian Red Crescent. In 1928 Lebanese-Syrian feminist
Nazira Zain al-Din, one of the first people to critically reinterpret the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
from a feminist perspective, published a book condemning the practice of veiling or
hijab, arguing that
Islam requires women to be treated equally with men. In 1930, the
First Eastern Women's Congress was hosted in Damascus by the
Syrian-Lebanese Women's Union.
In 1963 the
Ba'ath Party took power in Syria, and pledged full equality between women and men as well as full workforce participation for women.
In 1967 Syrian women formed a quasi-governmental organization called the
General Union of Syrian Women (GUSW), a coalition of women's welfare societies, educational associations, and voluntary councils intended to achieve equal opportunity for women in Syria.
The year 2011 marked the beginning of the
Syrian Civil War, where many civilians have fallen victim to attacks targeted at hospitals, schools, and infrastructure. Extremist rebel groups, such as
Jabhat al-Nusra
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
and
ISIS
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kin ...
, have enforced strict policies restricting freedoms of women in territories they control.
After the outbreak of civil war, some Syrian women have joined all-female brigade units in the
Syrian Arab Army
" (''Guardians of the Homeland'')
, colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive
* Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki
, anniversaries = August 1st
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Six-D ...
, the
Democratic Union Party, and the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
, taking on roles such as snipers, frontline units, or police.
Legal rights
While Syria has developed some fairly secular features during independence in the second half of the 20th century,
personal status
Legal status is the status or position held by an entity as determined by the law. It includes or entails a set of privileges, obligations, powers or restrictions that a person or thing has as encompassed in or declared by legislation.
Jack Balki ...
law is still based on
Sharia and applied by Sharia Courts.
Syria has a dual legal system which includes both secular and religious courts.
Marriage contracts are between the groom and the bride's father, and Syrian law does not recognize the concept of
marital rape.
Education
The early schooling in Syria starts at six years old and ends at the age of eighteen. In Syrian universities, women and men attend the same classes. Between 1970 and the late 1990s, the female population in schools dramatically increased. This increase included the early school years, along with the upper-level schools such as universities and higher education. Although the number of women has increased, there are still ninety five women to every one hundred men. Although many women start going to school, the dropout rate for women is much higher than for men.
The literacy rate for women is 74.2 percent and 91 percent for men. The rate of females over 25 with secondary education is 29.0 percent.
Politics
In Syria, women in Syria were first allowed to vote and received universal suffrage in 1953. In the 1950s,
Thuraya Al-Hafez ran for
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
, but was not elected. By 1971, women held four out of the 173 seats.
The current president of Syria is a male. There are also two vice presidents (including female vice president
Najah al-Attar
Najah Al-Attar ( ar, نجاح العطار; born 10 January 1933) is the Vice President of Syria, since 2006. She is the first Arab woman to have held the post. Previously she was Minister of Culture from 1976 to 2000.
Early life and education ...
since 2006), a prime minister and a cabinet. As of 2012, in the national parliament men held 88% of the seats while women held 12%.
The
Syrian Parliament was previously led by female
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
Hadiya Khalaf Abbas
Hadiya Khalaf Abbas ( ar, هدیة خلف عباس, 1958 – 13 November 2021) was a Syrian politician who served as the Speaker of the People's Council of Syria from June 2016 to July 2017. She is the only woman to have held the post.
Biography ...
, the first woman to have held that position.
President Assad's political and media adviser is
Bouthaina Shaaban. Shaaban served as the first
Minister of Expatriates for the
Syrian Arab Republic, between 2003 and 2008, and she has been described as the Syrian government's face to the outside world.
Of the civil society representatives among the 150 members of the
Syrian Constitutional Committee, which was assembled in 2019 by the Syria Envoy of the United Nations, Syrian women comprise around 30%. Several renowned Syrian women, such as academic
Bassma Kodmani, Sabah Hallak of the Syrian Women's League, the law professor Amal Yazji or the judge
Iman Shahoud, sit on the committee's influential 'Small' or Drafting Body.
Role in economy and in the military
In 1989 the Syrian government passed a law requiring factories and public institutions to provide on-site childcare.
However, women's involvement in the workforce is low; according to
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
, as of 2014, women made up 16.4% of the labor force.
Women are not conscripted in the military, but may serve voluntarily. The female militias of Syria are trained to fight for the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. A video was found dating back to the 1980s with female soldiers showing their pride and protectiveness toward Assad's father. "Because women are rarely involved in the armed side of the revolution, they are much less likely to get stopped, searched, or hassled at government checkpoints. This has proved crucial in distributing humanitarian aid throughout Syria."
Women's health
Between 2010 and 2015, the average life expectancy at birth for women in Syria is 77.7 years, compared with 74.5 years for men.
Impact of the conflict on Syria's women
Since the conflict erupted in 2011, women in
Syria, namely in conflict zones, have been facing
violence
Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...
,
sexual assault,
forced displacement, detension,
domestic violence,
child marriage
Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child.
*
*
*
* The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a mal ...
and other violations of their rights.
During the years of conflict, insecurity and the economic collapse significantly increased the vulnerability of women and girls.
In addition, many girls were left without schooling or access to healthcare services.
The enrolment rate for
primary education was 61% in 2013, with 61.1% of the total number being female, while for
secondary education
Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final pha ...
, the rate was 44% in 2013 - 43.8% for female.
In 2015, the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
gathered evidence of systematic sexual assault of women and girls by combatants in Syria, and this was escalated by the
Islamic State (ISIL) and other terrorist organizations.
Crime against women
Honor killings
Honor killings
An honor killing (American English), honour killing (Commonwealth English), or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honor of t ...
take place in Syria in situations where women are deemed to have brought shame to the family, affecting the family's 'reputation' in the community. Some estimates suggest that more than 200 honor killings occur every year in
Syria.
Forced and child marriage
The conflict in Syria has led to an increase in child marriages. The harsh living conditions, the insecurity, and the fear of rape, have led families to force their daughters into early marriages.
As a result of early marriage, many girls in Syria are forbidden from completing their studies because when a girl is married she is only expected to be a good wife and a good mother as well. Child marriage can influence physical and mental health badly. Physical damage can be related to child bearing specially for women under 18 years old and the possibility for not being able to give birth later in life, and in extreme cases it can lead to death. Psychological factors can be defined as difficulties in interacting with the husband or not having enough awareness about marriage life and its responsibilities.
Domestic Violence
A study covering the low-income women in Aleppo, an area where domestic abuse is more likely due to the tribal nature of the area, shows that physical abuse (battering at least 3 times in the last year) was found in 23% of the investigated women in 2003, 26% amongst married women. Regular abuse (battering at least once weekly) was found in 3.3% of married women, with no regular abused reported by non-married women. The prevalence of physical abuse amongst country residents was 44.3% compared to 18.8% amongst city residents. In most cases (87.4%) the abuse was inflicted by the husband, and in 9.5% of cases, the abuse was inflicted by more than one person. Correlates of physical abuse were women's education, religion, age, marital status, economic status, mental distress, smoking and residence.
Federation of Northern Syria - Rojava
With the
Syrian Civil War, the Kurdish populated area in Northern Syria has gained de facto autonomy as the
Federation of Northern Syria - Rojava, with the leading political actor being the progressive
Democratic Union Party (PYD). Kurdish women have several armed and non-armed organizations in Rojava, and enhancing women's rights is a major focus of the political and societal agenda. Kurdish female fighters in the
Women's Protection Units
(YPJ) ar, وحدات حماية المرأة
, image = File:YPJ Flag.svg
, caption = Flag of the YPJ
, dates = April 2013–present
, commander1 = Nesrin ...
(YPJ) played a key role during the
Siege of Kobani
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
and in rescuing
Yazidis
Yazidis or Yezidis (; ku, ئێزیدی, translit=Êzidî) are a Kurmanji-speaking endogamous minority group who are indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The ma ...
trapped on
Mount Sinjar
The Sinjar Mountains ( ku, چیایێ شنگالێ, translit=Çiyayê Şingalê, ar, جبل سنجار, translit=Jabal Sinjār, syr, ܛܘܪܐ ܕܫܝܓܪ, Ṭura d'Shingar,) are a mountain range that runs east to west, rising above the surroundi ...
, and their achievements have attracted international attention as a rare example of strong female achievement in a region in which women are heavily repressed.
The civil laws of Syria are valid in Rojava, as far as they do not conflict with the Constitution of Rojava. One notable example for amendment is personal status law, in Syria still Sharia-based,
[ where Rojava introduced civil law and proclaims absolute equality of women under the law and a ban on ]forced marriage
Forced marriage is a marriage in which one or more of the parties is married without their consent or against their will. A marriage can also become a forced marriage even if both parties enter with full consent if one or both are later force ...
as well as polygamy
Crimes
Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is ...
was introduced, while underage marriage was outlawed as well. For the first time in Syrian history, civil marriage
A civil marriage is a marriage performed, recorded, and recognized by a government official. Such a marriage may be performed by a religious body and recognized by the state, or it may be entirely secular.
History
Every country maintaining a pop ...
is being allowed and promoted, a significant move towards a secular open society and intermarriage between people of different religious backgrounds.
The legal efforts to reduce cases of underage marriage, polygamy and honor killings
An honor killing (American English), honour killing (Commonwealth English), or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honor of t ...
are underpinned by comprehensive public awareness campaigns. In every town and village, a women's house is established. These are community centers run by women, providing services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of harm. These services include counseling, family mediation, legal support, and coordinating safe houses for women and children. Classes on economic independence and social empowerment programs are also held at women's houses.
All administrative organs in Rojava are required to have male and female co-chairs, and forty percent of the members of any governing body in Rojava must be female. An estimated 25 percent of the Asayish police force of the Rojava cantons are women, and joining the Asayish is described in international media as a huge act of personal and societal liberation from an extremely patriarchical background, for ethnic Kurdish and ethnic Arab women alike.
The PYD's political agenda of "trying to break the honor-based religious and tribal rules that confine women" is controversial in conservative quarters of society.
Notable women
* Hadiya Khalaf Abbas
Hadiya Khalaf Abbas ( ar, هدیة خلف عباس, 1958 – 13 November 2021) was a Syrian politician who served as the Speaker of the People's Council of Syria from June 2016 to July 2017. She is the only woman to have held the post.
Biography ...
, Speaker of the People's Council of Syria (since 2016).
* Asya Abdullah is the co-chairwoman of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the leading political party in Rojava
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as Rojava, is a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria. It consists of self-governing sub-regions in the areas of Afrin, Jazira, Euphrates, Raqqa, Tabqa, ...
.
* Asma al-Assad, the First Lady of Syria and the wife of the current President Assad
* Najah al-Attar
Najah Al-Attar ( ar, نجاح العطار; born 10 January 1933) is the Vice President of Syria, since 2006. She is the first Arab woman to have held the post. Previously she was Minister of Culture from 1976 to 2000.
Early life and education ...
, Vice President of Syria (since 2006).
* Randa Kassis, President of The Astana Platform of the Syrian opposition.
* Suheir Atassi, Vice President of the opposition government.
* Samar Al Dayyoub, literary critic and writer
* Khawla Dunia
Khawla Dunia ( ar, خولة دنيا) is a Syrian poet, journalist, researcher and humanitarian aid and relief organizer from Damascus, Syria, although her family is originally from the Hama Province of Syria. A self-proclaimed atheist, she is o ...
, opposition activist and poet
* Îlham Ehmed Îlham Ehmed (Arabic: إلهام أحمد), also rendered as Îlham Ahmed, is a Syrian politician from the Democratic Union Party currently serving as the co-president of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syr ...
is co-chairwoman of the Syrian Democratic Council
The Syrian Democratic Council ( ku, Meclîsa Sûriya Demokratîk, MSD; ar, مجلس سوريا الديمقراطية; syc, ܡܘܬܒܐ ܕܣܘܪܝܐ ܕܝܡܩܪܛܝܬܐ, translit=Mawtbo d'Suriya Demoqraṭoyto) is the political wing of the Syri ...
.
* Hêvî Îbrahîm is the prime minister of Afrin Canton
Afrin Canton ( ku, Kantona Efrînê, ar, مقاطعة عفرين, syc, ܦܠܩܐ ܕܥܦܪܝܢ, translit=Pelqā dha-ʻAfrin) was one of the cantons of Rojava. Syria's Afrin District fell under the control of the People's Protection Units (YPG) aro ...
.
* Samira Khalil Samira Khalil ( ar, سميرة الخليل) is a Syrian dissident, former political detainee and a revolutionary activist from the Homs region of Syria. Khalil is currently missing after being abducted in Douma on December 9, 2013, along with ...
, dissident
* Ulfat Idilbi, best-selling Arabic-language novelist.
* Assala Nasri
Assala Mostafa Hatem Nasri ( ar, أصالة مصطفى حاتم نصري; born 15 May 1969), commonly known as Assala ( ar, أصالة), is a Syrian musical artist. She is one of the most popular and famous Arab singers.
Early life and career ...
is a musical artist
*Souad Nawfal
Souad Nawfal (also Suad Nofal) is a Syrian Muslim schoolteacher and activist who became known for her protests against Bashar al-Assad and the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria. She received the Homo Homini Award, a human rights award, in 2014.
She s ...
, opposition activist and schoolteacher.
* Rasha Omran, poet
* Bouthaina Shaaban, Bashar al-Assad's political adviser and previous Minister of Expatriates
* Muna Wassef
Muna may refer to:
Places
* Muna (Mikulovice), a World War II POW camp and ammunition factory in the Czech Republic
* Muna, Estonia, village in Rõuge Parish, Võru County, Estonia
* Muna, Iran, village in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran
*Mun ...
, theater, television, and film actress.
* Hediya Yousef is an ex-guerilla and co-chairwoman of the executive committee of the Federation of Northern Syria – Rojava.
* Razan Zaitouneh
Razan Zaitouneh (or Zeitunah; ar, رزان زيتونة; born 29 April 1977) is a Syrian human rights lawyer and civil society activist. Actively involved in the Syrian uprising, she went into hiding after being accused by the government of ...
, human rights lawyer and activist.
References
External links
Survey: Discrimination against Women in Syrian Society (I/II). Awareness of Women Rights and Freedoms, The Day After Association, August 2017
{{DEFAULTSORT:Women In Syria
Asian women