Women in Syria: A decade of exclusion and violations

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Twenty-two year old Aisha al-Khalaf, from Deir ez-Zor, laments, “I wanted to be a teacher, but the war and my family prevented me from achieving my dream. I finished high school, but they did not allow me to complete my university education. This depressed me.”

“Suddenly, we were told not to leave our houses because we might get harassed, raped or kidnapped,” Aisha added.

She adds, “Women in our society are restricted, and not allowed to make any decision regarding our personal lives or future.”

The war contributed to diminishing women’s rights and increased violations against them, leaving thousands of victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence, as well as forced and underage marriage. Women suffered greatly from extremism, which infected local customs and traditions during the years of war. It also robbed women of their right to a decent life, and attacked their legitimate human rights.

The ongoing conflict has created a great paradox for Syrian women, as some of them changed the humanitarian, political, economic and health reality in the country, but also made many women victims and survivors of gender-based crimes.

The forms of power and the division of the country into different areas of influence either contributed to destroying women, or strengthening their status and thus enabling them to participate in all of life’s aspects.

Statistics

Since the beginning of 2023, the Documentation and Monitoring Department of North Press documented the killing of 37 women by extrajudicial methods, the wounding of 28 others, the suicide of eight women, and the arbitrary kidnapping and arrest of 60 others across Syria. 46 of the latter are in the areas held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) alone.

As for 2022, the Documentation and Monitoring Department recorded the killing of 360 women, and the arbitrary arrest of more than 250 others.

In addition, 196 women committed suicide, and more than 190 cases of rape were recorded, 75 of which were in the areas controlled by the Turkish-backed opposition factions, North Press documented.

The general situation for women in Syria

Since the outbreak of war, women have been greatly affected. They have not only faced violence, torture, murder, sexual and physical violence, and displacement, but also continue to be subjected to gender-based discrimination.

The ongoing armed conflict has intensified gender-related violence in Syria and has led to a rise in rape cases, as well as instances of forced and child marriage.

According to the documentation department, 65 percent of Syrian women are subjected to gender-based discrimination in various forms, and they face great challenges in order to survive.

Early marriage grew during the years of war in Syria. According to a number of studies, the rate of early marriage in Syria grew by 50 percent due to insecurity and displacement, as well as the deteriorated economic situation, in cities as well as inside IDP camps.

Early marriage is widespread in areas held by the HTS and Turkish-backed opposition factions, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), due to the violence and sexual exploitation that women are subjected to there, which is used as a weapon of war to spread terror and humiliation among the population.

Families, that marry off their daughters at an early age often do so to protect them from kidnapping, harassment and rape.

In Syrian society, where traditional gender norms dictate acceptable social behaviors and allow for the degradation of women, the ongoing armed conflict has fuelled gender-based abuse and misogynistic practices.

Tradition and norms not only fueled gender-based crimes, but also contributed to the creation of a generation of women who never saw proper schooling, and remain bound by the customs and traditions that were imposed on them.

Yusra al-Ahmad, a 25-year-old woman from the city of Deir ez-Zor, like so many young Syrians, dared to dream of a better future and wanted to complete her education, but her family stood in the way.

“My family did not let me complete my education. They refused to send me to school, and now they ask me to find a job. There is no job opportunities for people like me,” al-Ahmad added.

“My family is responsible for me not being accepted to any job and for the difficult conditions I am facing now.”

New challenges for women emerged after the earthquakes this year, exposing them to vulnerable conditions, and to both physical and sexual abuse, as well as societal harassment.

Gender-based barriers also affect their wellbeing post-disaster: they have to live in shelters with dozens of other families, and in unsafe homes, where their privacy can be violated.

The law in Syria has never been fair to women. The Syrian constitution includes many discriminatory articles regarding penalties against women and men, which are based on customs and traditions but laid down as the law of the land. Nevertheless, they violate the principles of international humanitarian law and human rights laws, as they reduce the punishment of male perpetrators and ignores women’s pain.

Syrian law, with its gender-based discrimination, indirectly encouraged violations committed against women and contributes to the impunity of perpetrators, even though Syria has been among the signatories of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women since 2003.

Although the war contributed to the deterioration of women’s rights, it helped humanitarian organizations concerned with women’s rights to effect changes and achieve successes for many Syrian women. They have contributed in educating society and women about their rights and duties, while also encouraging them not to remain silent in the face of assault.

Legal point of view

“The situation for women and girls in Syria and the region is worse now than it has been since the conflict began. They face enormous challenges, including mounting risks to their health and safety,” said Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Regional Director, Arab States.

The United Nations Fund stated in a report that instability and displacement have sharply increased women and girls’ risks and vulnerabilities to multiple forms of physical and sexual violence, and that child marriage rates have spiked.

In its annual report the Human Rights Watch said, “Women in government-held areas continued to face discrimination in relation to marriage, divorce, responsibility over children, and inheritance under the Personal Status Law.”

Samah Hadid, Middle East Campaigns Director at Amnesty International, said in a report for the organization, that Syrian women have suffered tremendously during the conflict, “yet they’ve not given up and have instead become brave everyday heroes. They are political activists and they report abuses committed by those in power. Many of these women are the sole providers for their families and risk their own lives speaking up.”

She added that “Syrian women must be included in discussions about the past and future of their country, at the local, regional and international level. Ending gender-based discrimination is crucial to ensure accountability and a just society in Syria.”

On International Women’s Day, women across the country are reminding authorities that protecting and supporting women is a duty, and that they are among those most exposed to violence, assault and discrimination.

It is the responsibility of local and international human rights organizations operating in the region, as well as the media and local authorities, to ensure their protection and to raise awareness of their rights. It is also the duty of the international community to protect them, stand by them, reduce impunity in gender-based crime, and provide psychological support and reparations for survivors.