Amid the devastation caused by years of war, Syrian women are no longer mere victims. They have become a vital force in rebuilding their society, working to overcome the many challenges it faces and reshape its identity.
Having borne the immense loss of loved ones and taken on the responsibility of providing for their families in the most challenging of circumstances, Syrian women now stand on the cusp of a new era. They are armed with the tools to seize opportunities and push for much-needed reform in their country.
It is important to note that, in many families, women became the sole breadwinners, driven by necessity to pursue non-traditional paths into the labour market. Some took on agricultural work, started small businesses, or became educators, all while assuming roles that supported their communities.
In this process, Syrian women have shown their ability to take on responsibilities traditionally seen as ‘male’ and have demonstrated their capacity to create real change.
One such example is Reem Fadda, a woman in her thirties who, after being displaced from her home in Rif Dimashq to Idlib following a bombing. She was forced to leave by the forces of the former regime.
After her husband’s death in prison, Reem found herself as the sole provider for her family. Despite the immense challenges she faced, she did not give up. Instead, she started a small business making pickles and jams in the rented house she found in Idlib.
With the help of an NGO operating in the area, Reem was able to expand her business and market her products locally. Today, she employs several other women, improving their economic circumstances as well.
“I didn’t know where to start, but I knew I had to do something for my children,” she explains. “I began from scratch and worked hard to achieve my goal of being productive without asking for sympathy. I’m proud to have helped other women along the way.”
However, Reem emphasises that “real opportunities require legislative and deep-rooted reforms.” She points out that Syrian laws currently do not protect women’s rights in the workplace, leaving many women vulnerable to discrimination and harassment, with little or no legal recourse.
Building a better futureÂ
Another woman whose determination has made a difference is Samar Darwish, a former teacher from Homs. After the destruction of the school where she worked, Samar took matters into her own hands. She decided to launch an educational initiative for the children in her community, enlisting a team of female volunteers to help.
She began by organising lessons in her own home, providing basic education to local children who had been deprived of schooling due to the war. Thanks to funding from international organisations, Samar’s initiative has grown and now provides learning activities to hundreds of children.
“Education is the only weapon we can give our children to help them build a better future,” she asserts. “It is the cornerstone of any rebuilding process, particularly after the destruction of our schools. Despite the lack of books and educational materials, the children’s determination to learn kept me motivated to carry on.”
Samar emphasises that Syrian women have shown they are capable of shouldering responsibility in the toughest circumstances. However, they require greater support from both the international and local communities to be empowered to play an active role in the rebuilding process.
“We need to work on changing the stereotype of women and provide them with opportunities,” she says.
Supporting Syrian women
Huda Barakat, a lawyer and women’s rights activist, stresses the importance of supporting Syrian women. She believes it is not only a matter of fairness, but a vital strategic investment for Syria’s future. Without the active participation of women, she warns, any rebuilding process will be fragile and unsustainable.
She highlights the social and cultural restrictions in some regions, along with customs and traditions that still limit women’s ability to work outside the home, calling for changes in laws and policies that prevent women from fully participating in public life.
She also draws attention to the lack of educational and training opportunities for women, exacerbated by the war’s destruction of schools and educational centres. This has severely restricted women’s access to the necessary education and training to enter the labour market.
Discrimination within the job market remains another significant barrier, especially in fields traditionally considered ‘male’.
Huda also stresses the need for much greater resources to be allocated to mental health services, as mental health support will be crucial to Syria’s overall recovery and rebuilding.
‘Endless hope and invincible strength’
Lama Bakour, a civil engineer working in reconstruction, challenges the widespread notion that engineering is a profession reserved for men. Although many people still believe engineering to be a male-dominated field, Lama, along with many other women, is proving otherwise.
Currently, Lama is working on bridge and road reconstruction projects in Aleppo, but she notes that the challenges are immense, particularly due to the lack of materials and the unstable security situation.
“Despite the challenges, I believe that we, as women, bring a different perspective to the building process, both practically and socially,” she says, adding, “There are many stories of Syrian women quietly working to rebuild their lives and communities, but many of these stories remain untold, even though they carry messages of hope and inspiration.”Â
Lama also calls for the media to adopt a more sensitive approach, one that reflects the challenges women have faced and continue to face, while also highlighting their achievements in the reconstruction process.
“Syrian women carry in their hearts endless hope and invincible strength,” she concludes. “We are not only building bridges and roads — we are also building a new future for Syria, one based on justice, equality, and dignity for all.”
Peacebuilding efforts from the bottom up
Syrian women refugees in other countries are also mobilising to bring about change and contribute to the rebuilding of their country and society.
Laila Ali, a Syrian refugee in Germany studying information technology, says: “I dream of contributing to developing technological solutions to the problems in our Syrian society. Technology can be a powerful tool in empowering women, especially in regions where traditional education is difficult to access.”
Meanwhile, social worker Sara Karameh asserts that rebuilding Syria will not be limited to the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure but will also involve restoring the country’s social and cultural fabric, which was torn apart by the war.
She adds that women play a pivotal role in these efforts because, as mothers, teachers, and community leaders, they have the ability to strengthen values such as tolerance and coexistence and build trust between communities where mutual antagonisms and resentments have taken root.
She further notes that, in many areas, women have led local initiatives to rehabilitate schools and hospitals and have organised educational programs for children who have long been deprived of an education.
Building on this, Sara emphasises that Syrian women also play a crucial role in fostering dialogue within society, resolving local disputes, and contributing to peacebuilding efforts from the bottom up.
She further demonstrates that Syrian women have the potential to be the cornerstone of rebuilding a more just and tolerant society, but achieving this requires both local and international support to help them reach their full potential.
Hadia Al Mansour is a freelance journalist from Syria who has written for Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Monitor, SyriaUntold and Rising for Freedom Magazine
Article translated from Arabic by Rose Chacko
