MSDThe Women’s Office of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) held on Wednesday a dialogue seminar titled “The Role of Women’s Organizations in Change and Development During Challenges in the Current Situation”. The seminar took place in the SDC’s meeting hall in Raqqa.
Representatives from political parties, women’s organizations, civil society, as well as participants from Zanobia Gathering and the Green Idlib Council attended the seminar. Women from Damascus, Aleppo, and Idlib also participated in the seminar.
The participants observed a minute of silence to remember the martyrs of freedom in Syria. Jihan Khedro, Head of the SDC’s Women’s Office, provided a brief overview of the activities of women’s organizations and the historical and current situation of Syrian women.
Khedro emphasized that Syrian women’s organizations play a crucial role in the Syrian civil society. Their fundamental role includes systematically raising awareness about women’s rights, combating the violence they face, and promoting the gains achieved by them in recent years.
She emphasized the necessity of strengthening relations among organizations concerned with women’s affairs. The aim is to achieve coordination and purposeful interaction to support women’s issues.
In a related context, Eliana Atiya, a lecturer at the Faculty of Education at the University of Damascus, provided a brief review that included women’s efforts and their attempts to participate in political activities since the pre-independence period until today.
Atiya noted that women’s organizations and associations that emerged during the Syrian crisis within different Syrian regions worked to empower women and making them to participate in decision-making.
The second theme of the seminar addressed the challenges facing women’s organizations.
Zaynab Qanbar, Spokesperson for the SDC’s Women’s Office in Aleppo, highlighted the impacts left by war, migration, and the authoritarian mindset of the ruling authority on women, as well as on women’s organizations in general.
Maysoun Muhammad, Spokesperson for the Women’s Committee of the Green Idlib Council, discussed the challenges faced by women’s organizations, including the ongoing Syrian crisis, persistent conflict, terrorist threats, limited funding, and societal challenges.
In conclusion, present women participating in the seminar provided a set of recommendations and outcomes. These outcomes emphasized cooperation and coordination among relevant organizations, enhancing women’s capacities and empowerment. They also underscored supporting sustainable development for women, establishing awareness and education centers for Syrian women. Finally, they emphasized working to convey the experiences of women in northeastern Syria to other regions within the country.
