MSDEvery year, on March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day. This day reaffirms the central role of women in building societies and promoting the values of freedom, justice, and equality.
On this occasion, we extend our deep appreciation to all women in Syria and around the world. Despite the challenges they face, they continue their struggle to secure their full rights.
Throughout history, women have played a fundamental role in achieving stability, social progress, and political change. However, systematic marginalization and exclusion from decision-making positions remain major obstacles to their effective participation. Ensuring women’s presence in leadership roles is not just a fundamental right. It is also the first step toward fair representation in all other fields, including economic development, education, and culture. This, in turn, paves the way for a more just and sustainable society.
This year’s International Women’s Day comes at a time of growing concern over the surge in violence against women in Syria.
In recent months, dozens of innocent civilians—women, children, and men—have been killed. These crimes reflect not only the escalating violations against women but also the lack of guarantees for their protection under the current Syrian regime.
This escalation is not a series of isolated incidents. Rather, it serves as a dangerous warning of a bleak future for women if discriminatory policies and impunity continue.
Protecting women from violence and securing their fundamental rights requires deep structural reform at both the state and societal levels.
This begins with strengthening legal protections that ensure women’s safety and dignity. It also requires eliminating all forms of systematic discrimination.
A democratic and just Syria cannot be built under a regime that allows violations against women to persist.
As Syria enters a new phase, a genuine democratic transition cannot be achieved without the active participation of women. Ensuring meaningful representation of women in official institutions is essential to breaking existing patterns of discrimination. Guaranteeing the meaningful partnership of women in shaping the country’s future is the key to building a Syria founded on equal citizenship and the rule of law.
In this context, strengthening solidarity among women and unifying their efforts is even more critical. It is necessary to safeguard and institutionalize their achievements within legal and constitutional frameworks. This need is especially urgent due to the ongoing challenges facing women’s rights.
Despite the passage of twenty-five years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, women continue to face significant obstacles, particularly in conflict zones like Syria. These barriers hinder the realization of the resolution’s objectives.
Implementing this resolution in Syria is not merely an international obligation. It is a fundamental requirement for ensuring the country’s stability, achieving justice, and building a democratic society. A society that upholds the rights of all its citizens without discrimination.
The SDC reaffirms that stability and peace in Syria cannot be achieved without the genuine participation of women in all aspects of life. It calls for urgent action to hold perpetrators of violence against women accountable. It also urges the enactment of strict laws that protect women’s rights. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need to ensure women’s effective representation in all governing institutions and decision-making positions.
Long live Syrian women, free and dignified. Long live their struggle for freedom and equality.
March 8, 2025
Syrian Democratic Council
