MSDToday, a group of Syrian women discussed violence against Syrian women in the context of war and migration during a dialogue seminar organized by the Women’s Bureau of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) in Aleppo. This coincides with the approaching the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, marked on November 25th each year.
The dialogue seminar, titled “Syrian Women Are Between the Violence of War and Impacts of Migration,” took place in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo at the meeting hall of the SDC. It was attended by representatives from political parties, civil society organizations, and Syrian women interested in women’s issues.
The seminar was begun with a welcoming speech by Zainab Qanbar, administrative of Relations Bureau at the Aleppo Center of the SDC, highlighting the importance of this day.
She spoke about the experiences, challenges, and suffering that Syrian women have endured during the Syrian crisis and the phenomenon of migration, which has disrupted family structures and added additional burdens to women.
During the seminar, Iman Allo, member of the Women’s Bureau of the SDC, addressed the definition and forms of violence, its effects on women and society, and how to confront and reduce it.
She discussed the reality of Syrian women during the crisis, the marginalization they faced by the Damascus government, the violations and violence committed against them by the Islamic State (ISIS), as well as the violations in areas occupied by the Turkish state.
In the same context, Khalida Suleiman, member of the Progressive Democratic Party in Syria, spoke about the suffering of women amid conflicts in Syria. She addressed the abuses, torture, arrests, and abductions by the Turkish occupation state, which practices various forms of violence against women amid a shameful silence by international civil society organizations.
Sophia al-Ali, member of the Syrian Women’s Council, defined violence against women as an ethical denial of fundamental human rights for women and a deprivation of gender equality.
She attributed the spread of this phenomenon to the absence of several legal legislations and protective mechanisms that assist women in obtaining justice and their rights. She emphasized that failure to address the phenomenon as a priority makes women as victims in the society.
Teacher Kifah Khallo stressed the importance of activating the role of women through education and awareness to reduce the phenomenon of violence against women.
In conclusion, the participating women called on women worldwide to strive in resistance for obtaining all their rights at all levels. They urged liberation from all societal restrictions and called for equality and the realization of their rights recognized by international and humanitarian laws and norms.
