Activist calls for constitutional protection of women’s rights

The spokesperson for the Training Committee of Kongra Star in Rojava, Ahin Ali, explained that the Autonomous Administration and the Syrian Democratic Forces have consistently focused on the role of women as a fundamental pillar in building the system, and that this approach has been applied for 14 years as a living democratic model.

She pointed out that the Interim Government in its current form is incapable of representing the women’s revolution or fulfilling women’s aspirations and hopes. She stressed that when drafting any future political agreement or constitution for Syria, Syrian women’s unions must be included within a joint constitutional charter, similar to what has been implemented through the Social Contract in the Autonomous Administration.

Ahin Ali affirmed that any political system that does not protect women’s rights cannot achieve democracy, emphasizing the need to take women’s specific concerns into account in any political agreement. She also stated that Syrian women alone are capable of drafting their constitutional rights and managing their policies according to their own vision and true identity.

She explained that ensuring the implementation of laws concerning women requires their clear inclusion in the constitution, noting that the current constitutional declaration neither represents women nor reflects Syria’s diverse social components. She attributed this to three main issues: naming the state the “Syrian Arab Republic,” adopting a religious character in the constitution, and marginalizing women’s roles despite Syria’s cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity.

She emphasized that the Syrian constitution needs radical change because it does not protect women’s rights or ethnic rights. She added that women-related articles in the Baath-era constitution were secondary and failed to reflect women’s true status. In her view, the women’s issue is no longer merely about rights but has become a global issue linked to denial and marginalization, alongside issues such as the Kurdish cause.

She stressed the necessity of discussing women’s issues alongside the integration process, considering women a fundamental pillar of society. She also noted that the limited representation of women in the Interim Government reflects a structural flaw, stressing that women themselves must be responsible for drafting constitutional articles related to their rights.

She added that protecting women’s rights means protecting society as a whole, and that women’s freedom is the foundation of society’s freedom. She pointed out that women’s representation in the Interim Government does not exceed 5%, compared to more than 50% in the institutions of the Autonomous Administration, reflecting a significant gap in achieving democratic justice.

She also highlighted the existence of a patriarchal mentality that obstructs women’s participation, citing the rejection of female candidates during administrative integration processes in Rojava. She affirmed the rejection of returning to the pre-2011 system, explaining that the goal of the revolution led by Kurdish women was to change the essence of the authoritarian regime, not merely replace one group of people with another.

She warned that continuing the current approach would lead to the continuation of the women’s revolution, stressing that genuine democratic change cannot be achieved without women’s participation and empowerment.

She also proposed practical steps to guarantee women’s rights, most notably unifying Syrian women within political and economic organizations, holding a comprehensive national conference to discuss women’s rights, forming specialized committees to draft constitutional articles, and issuing an official decree to guarantee these rights.

In conclusion, Ahin Ali stressed the need for official constitutional recognition of the Women’s Protection Units in Syria, affirming that protecting women’s rights can only be achieved through an integrated system that includes military, social, economic, cultural, political, and constitutional dimensions.

ANHA