MSDBy Jihan Khedero
Throughout history, violence against women has been the widespread crime in the history of human violence, and in all countries of the world.
Despite the explicit protections outlined in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols of 1977, violence against women remains a pervasive and persistent global issue. For a long time, demands have focused on eliminating physical and sexual violence against women. This form of violence affects a third of the world’s women, according to UN statistics from 2015. The devastating impacts of this violence have made it a global priority.
The various forms of violence directed against women require significant time and effort to address. Raising awareness about the extent of the problem, regardless of the form of violence, is crucial. This is why the day on November 25th was designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
We frequently discuss the political violence experienced by societies, particularly in the Middle East. Political violence is the manipulation of politics to inflict illegitimate harm on large segments of the population for achieving specific goals. Women, in particular, have been subjected to this form of violence for centuries by governments in various societies.
The issue of Syrian women’s participation in political activities remains controversial. In Syria, the situation of women has been particularly challenging. Prior to the conflict, Syrian women faced significant obstacles to political participation. The authoritarian regime in Syria systematically excluded women from decision-making processes and limited their roles in public affairs.
This reality is attributed to several factors, including the views of many societies that have indeed limited women’s roles to being only wives and mothers. As a result, it has contributed to the perception that women are unfit for politics.
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Political violence in Syria has included both symbolic and direct forms as well as the timeframe of before and after the Syrian crisis. The exclusion of women has been a longstanding stereotype, reinforced by societal, religious, and political structures. Despite Syria being the first Arab country to grant women the right to vote and stand for election, and the 24th globally, it continues to uphold laws that perpetuate women’s subordination. These laws allow men to dominate women and include constitutional provisions that protect discrimination against women, undermining their rights.
Despite achieving a 10% representation in the Syrian Parliament and holding ministerial and union positions, women’s presence remained marginal. This marginalization was similar to that experienced by all members of the Parliament under the authoritarian regime.
Their participation served primarily as a symbolic form, aimed at fulfilling propaganda purposes rather than empowering women politically. These gains were built upon a foundation of traditional culture within a reality marked by resistance to women’s liberation and their participation in public affairs.
Syrian women suffered greatly during the conflict, facing family disintegration. Women were actively involved in protests and other activities supporting the uprisings in Syria. As that political participation is not just a right but also a responsibility for women.
Despite 13 years of conflict, Syrian women continue to fight against violence and oppression, defending their rights and freedoms. Through organized efforts and a strong will, they have broadened the impact of their feminist initiatives.
The efforts made by women in northeastern Syria have grown and influenced the entire country and even garnered global attention.
Despite the achievements made by women, the policies of the Syrian regime, the Turkish occupation, and its affiliated factions continue to pose a significant threat to women’s situation. They face daily suppression and extermination, particularly in occupied areas such as Afrin, Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), Idlib, Gire Spi (Tel Abyad), regions of Jarablus, Azaz, and al-Bab. These threats are accompanied by massacres and war crimes, including the targeting of national figures and political leaders.
The persistence of the authoritarian patriarchal mindset, in all its forms and methods, continues to embed its concepts in society. This mindset relies on the eradication of women, who are killed in the name of honor, raped and deprived of all their rights. Women bear the greatest burden and often suffer due to harmful customs and traditions. These damaging practices stem from gender stereotypes and are further reinforced by societal and religious beliefs.
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Despite all the challenges and obstacles, we must continue to struggle against all authoritarian regimes and their policies. We must intensify our efforts and demand accountability for those who commit crimes against women. We reaffirm our sustained commitment to unifying our visions and positions against challenges that obstacle women’s freedom.
Over the past fifty years, some countries have enacted laws granting women the right to vote, take part in electing leaders, and hold presidential positions. However, most of these laws have remained unenforced.
Therefore, women must strive to achieve their goals. It is crucial to work towards changing authoritarian, current, and political regimes. Additionally, they should address the imbalance and inequity in global politics, which lacks the representation of women. In fact, women constitute more than half of the world’s population. Efforts must focus on ensuring women’s presence in governments and decision-making positions worldwide. Women possess significant competence to address political challenges. However, certain social customs and traditions hinder their involvement in this field. These obstacles must be overcome immediately, allowing women to participate actively in all fields of the life.
We, as women, must raise our awareness about obtaining our full political rights in the present time. We also need to protect ourselves from the violations and crimes we face. Therefore, women should take a leading role in society and advocate for the co-presidency regime currently implemented in the AANES. This regime has enabled women, including all communities, to achieve significant gains after a hard-fought struggle.
We believe that violence against women is fundamentally violence against humanity as a whole. Therefore, we must completely stop violence and rape. On this basis, and on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we call on all women who enjoy a free democratic social life to strive in all fields. You, as women, must persist and make the right changes in your struggle to establish a democratic and pluralistic society based on women’s freedom.
