Syrian Women in Transition: Shaping the Country’s Future

In this blog post, Morgane Landel, Synergy for Justice Legal Expert Contributor, explores the evolving role of Syrian women in the country’s transition, highlighting their demands for meaningful participation in governance and decision-making.

“We are fighting on two fronts: one to rebuild our homeland, and the other to break the chains imposed on us,”said one Syrian woman at a community dialogue on the Syrian transition. Recently, Synergy for Justice and the Amal Healing and Advocacy Centre held community dialogues with 433 Syrian women to ask them what they wanted from the transition. Although women don’t speak with a unified voice, there were some common trends in how they expressed both excitement and trepidation about this period of transition. And one of the key overriding opinions voiced is that Syrian women want to be heard.

Most noted that women’s roles had changed as a result of the conflict as women became heads of households and decision-makers. Women were forced to raise families on their own and to manage their own affairs, which might have been at odds with expectations. Many of the women who were part of the community dialogue indicated that they feel stronger and less marginalised as a result of their new roles and responsibilities they had to carry during the war. They do not want to go back to their previous roles. According to some accounts, they will be welcomed into the new government, but will their participation be meaningful?

“Women take centre stage in Syria’s new government.” This seemed a surprising headline, given the way Hayat Tahir Al-Sham (HTS), who are now Syria’s caretaker government, ruled Idlib. In early 2024, HTS passed a moral law in Idlib that mandated the wearing of the hijab for girls over 12 and prohibited the mixing of men and women at work.  When I looked at the list of ministers in the transitional Syrian cabinet, there is only one woman, Aisha Al-Dibs, who was appointed on 22 December 2024, after the other ministers, as the Minister for Women’s Affairs. All other ministers (21) are men.  Her appointment appears to have been a reaction to comments made by the government spokesperson, Obeida Arnaout, on 18 December 2024, that women were “unsuitable for some positions, such as the Ministry of Defence” and that “women have their biological and psychological nature, as well as their specific characteristics and composition, which must align with particular tasks. For example, it is not appropriate to suggest that women use weapons or be placed in roles that do not suit their abilities, composition, or nature.” Appointing the only woman as the woman’s affair minister implies that women are only suitable to manage their “own affairs” and have no interest in other affairs, like defence, justice, health or education.  

Arnaout’s comments were met with some backlash and calls for him to resign, but he has refused. His key role as the spokesperson representing the new Syrian government is an alarming indicator of the potential future for women in Syria. Soon after this incident, however, on 30 December 2024, Maysaa Sabrine was appointed to head the central bank. She is the first woman to be appointed to this post. So now, it’s not just a lone woman sitting in the cabinet; there is also the head of the central bank. But this does not represent meaningful inclusion of women in the government. Whether this appointment is followed by another appointment of women in government roles remains to be seen.   

Syrian women provided recommendations for ensuring their inclusion in the transition: 

1. A substantial percentage of women must be integrated into all transitional mechanisms in leadership roles. These roles should not be limited to “women’s issues” but should encompass all issues affecting the Syrian population, including justice, housing and land, access to resources, challenges with civic and identity documents, citizenship, etc. 
2. Women must be provided with leadership training to enable them to have the confidence to engage with these transitional mechanisms. A lack of self-confidence, combined with a belief that men are inherently better at leadership and decision-making prevent women from participating in these activities. 
3. International actors and governments must apply real pressure on the Syrian government to ensure that women are meaningfully included in the transitional process. As the UN and states start to engage with HTS, now is the time to include women’s participation in the discussion. Waiting will send a message that it is not a priority. 

There is an opportunity to address the historical injustices that women have faced in Syria. As women want to be heard and want to be part of rebuilding Syria, this opportunity must be seized now to create a more cohesive society capable of facing future challenges.

I hope that the views of Syrian women are heard, that their recommendations for a fair and equitable transition are implemented, and that they translate into future equality.