MSDOn Saturday, the Women’s Bureau of the Syrian Democratic Council invited Syrian women in Aleppo to a symposium that discussed “Women’s Suffering in Light of the Syrian Crisis” within the framework of the activities and events of the International Women’s Day, which falls on the eighth of March of each year, with the aim of discussing the situation of Syrian women and the impact of the crisis on their reality.
Representatives of political parties and an elite group of women interested in public affairs, in addition to a number of young women and university students, participated in the symposium, which was held in Al-Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in the city of Aleppo.
The symposium presented the reality of Syrian women and their careers during the crisis, where Sarah Khalil, a member of the Women’s Bureau of the Syrian Democratic Council, spoke about the reality of Syrian women during the years of the crisis, stressing the need for women to continue their struggle in order to guarantee a place for them within the constitution of the new future Syria and real recognition of the importance of the role of women in political life and its necessity in the establishment and continuity of a stable political life.
For her part, human rights activist Sherin Mustafa said that “Syrian women still suffer from gender-based violence, in addition to outdated customs and traditions that limit and restrict women’s movement and creativity, as well as discriminatory articles in Syrian law that do not do justice for women and do not guarantee their active participation in all aspects of life”.
She described the experience of women in the regions of northeastern Syria as a pioneering experience, as she said that “Despite all the challenges that women faced and they still face, this experience is considered as a pioneering experience regarding women’s rights, and it is a guide to reach a free democratic homeland based on citizenship, democracy and human rights, so our endeavor must be to develop this experience and deepen participation in it to be a concern that unites us all, and that the struggle to restore the status of women in society and politics is the goal that we all seek”.
She called on all Syrian women for the importance of uniting efforts and activating dialogues between Syrian women, so that women should have a role to achieve a common vision to obtain their rights and access to decision-making places, and that women should have real and effective participations in all areas of life.
Hajar Al-Hassan, an activist in the field of women’s rights, pointed out the importance of enhancing women’s capabilities to contribute to the development process, and the need to educate women about their rights to participate in all aspects of life, and to deepen their role in decision-making.
The women participants put forward several proposals, including intensifying the holding of targeted women’s meetings, in addition to preparing awareness-raising and training courses.
The discussions attached a great importance to the issue of women’s ability to change the laws of governance in order to preserve their rights and represent them in all political and administrative fields to lead society to a better and developed manner.
