For the first time in more than 50 years, Syrian women and men alike marched in the streets of Syria’s capital, Damascus, waving the Syrian independence flag and celebrating the liberation from Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024.
Following a surprise attack by the militant group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Bashar’s rule fell, and the rise of HTS’s current transitional government began.
Emerging from the chaos of Syria’s long civil war, HTS, originally the Nusra Front and once affiliated with al-Qaeda, has rebranded itself as the architect of a transitional government promising civil order and economic revival.
Its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, now presenting a more moderate, state-building image, vows to protect Syria’s diverse communities.
But the group’s Islamist roots and past enforcement of strict social codes, including a Sharia-compliant dress code, continue to stir unease among women and minority groups.
Despite al-Sharaa’s promise, eyewitnesses report that public spaces in Damascus are covered with posters of a fully veiled woman, titled ‘The Hijab of the Muslim Woman,’ outlining the ‘conditions of the Shariah-compliant hijab’, pressuring women to conform to cultural expectations, a norm all too familiar to Syrian women.
Moreover, officials in or associated with the government have made several remarks over the past two months that have sparked fear among women, raising concerns about potential rollbacks of their rights.
Aisha al-Dibs, the head of the Women’s Affairs Office asserted on December 29, in an interview with TRT Arabic, that “we are all equal,” inviting women to apply for public sector positions. But, she quickly followed by urging women “not to go beyond the priorities of their God-given nature” and to recognise “their educational role in the family” — remarks that sparked widespread controversy over the stereotyping of women’s roles within the family.
Mirroring these thoughts, and receiving just as much backlash, is Obaida Arnaout, the official spokesperson for the new Syrian political administration, who stated that women’s “biological composition” made them unsuitable for roles such as Minister of Defence or positions within the judiciary.
A ‘fundamental right’
Despite the growing concerns, activists are adamant about fighting for equal political representation.
“There are constant discussions about women’s competence to hold office and participate in political life. But why don’t we see men being appointed to decision-making positions based purely on their competence, which is supposedly the key criterion?” Doris Awad, a specialist in gender issues and international policy, expressed her opposition to such claims to The New Arab.
Awad, also a member of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement, an organisation founded in 2017, described the inclusion of women in official positions as both a “fundamental right” and an “essential pillar” in building a just and democratic state that represents the interests of all citizens.
Through her work with the organisation, they aim to express the need for a feminist political current that engages Syrian women in practical political participation and works toward the establishment of an egalitarian Syrian state, where all individuals are equal in rights and duties.
She argues that the idea of certain roles being deemed “suitable” or “unsuitable” for women is inherently flawed. The widely cited standard of “competence,” she asserted, serves as a veiled form of discrimination, particularly given that many men have secured prominent positions despite lacking notable qualifications.
“Through vague and undefined standards of competence, these sayings imply that men are inherently entitled to leadership positions, while women must first prove their worthiness to be considered,” Awad asserted.
She also argued that excluding women from political participation and restricting their roles will only contribute to “an unstable future in Syria.”
Fighting for equality
While under Assad’s government, Syrian women held roles as political and media advisers, Vice President for Cultural Affairs, or Speaker of Parliament, their representation remained limited, comprising just 10 percent of the government, with only three female ministers among 30 cabinet positions.
The first Syrian woman to hold a position as a Speaker of the People’s Assembly since its establishment was Hadia Khalaf Abbas in 2016.
Less than a year after taking office, the Syrian Parliament voted by a majority to remove Abbas, citing her “lack of performance.”
Lawmakers accused Abbas of “violating parliamentary rules, disregarding democratic principles,” “overriding the majority’s will by insisting on continuing discussions,” and stated her prevention of members from voicing objections.
“Under the previous regime, women’s roles were confined to specific ministerial positions, such as culture, development and stated,” Sabah Alhallak, a women’s rights activist, and a member of the Syrian Constitutional Committee and the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board to the United Nations (UN) told The New Arab.
“Today, our objective is for Syrian women to assert their rightful place in political life and decision-making,” she added, emphasising that Syrian women have the skills and potential to be influential participants in shaping the future of Syria.
At present, the transitional government includes no female representation aside from al-Dibs, a position that lacks both leadership and sovereign authority, serving merely as an administrative office focused on women’s issues without holding a high-ranking official status.
Meanwhile, Syrian women aspire to a Syrian state based on the principles of citizenship, where they have civil, political, social, and economic rights, as well as active participation in the country’s future.
Achieving the concept of citizenship requires the realisation of four key principles, Alhallak emphasised.
The road ahead
The first principle is the freedom of citizens, followed by their right and duty to engage in public life across all its dimensions, political, social, and economic. The third principle emphasises equality among citizens in terms of rights, freedoms, and responsibilities. The final principle sheds light on the responsibility of individuals in nation-building and comprehensive development.
Alhallak noted that the inclusion of women in political life is not a secondary issue to be overlooked. Excluding this social group from shaping their own future means excluding them from shaping the future of Syria itself.
Echoing these thoughts is Nour Salam, a member of the Young Women Politicians Forum in the Syrian Women’s Political Movement.
Syrian women’s participation, especially young women, is crucial in building the new Syria, which must be founded on equality and democracy, according to Salam.
“Empowering women and securing their role in decision-making is key to building the Syria people aspire to,” Salam told The New Arab, highlighting that Syrian women have invaluable perspectives necessary for shaping public policy, reflecting the needs of society as a whole.
Activists Awad, Alhallak, and Salam agreed that securing Syrian women’s role in the nation’s political future requires drafting a new constitution that guarantees true equality between men and women in both rights and responsibilities.
“The women’s quota should be expanded to guarantee at least 30 percent representation or equal seat distribution and call for legal reforms and accountability to combat violence and barriers to women’s political participation,” Salam said.
Safaa Sallal is a Syrian journalist focusing on humanitarian, social, and developmental issues
This article is published in collaboration with Egab
