Conference launched to form unified women’s front for Syria’s future

The conference, organized in Hasakah in the Jazira Canton, is titled “The Women’s Alliance as a Foundation for Justice and Democracy in a Decentralized Syria” and involves around 700 female political figures, human rights activists, intellectuals, tribal leaders from NE Syria, Aleppo, the Syrian coast, and Damascus, with participants from Sweida joining via Zoom.

The conference, organized by Kongra Star and the Women of Zenobia Gathering, opened with a moment of silence, followed by a cultural performance. The opening speech was delivered by Kongra Star spokesperson Rehan Loqu, who welcomed attendees from across Syria and emphasized: “Today, we gather as a unified women’s force carrying the will for change and aspiring to build Syria’s future.”

Rehan Loqu remembered female martyrs and fighters, such as Hevrin Khalaf, Karam al-Shihab, Fawziya al-Shaarani, Dr. Faten, and Nour Hanna, describing their blood as a beacon lighting the path and vowing to continue the struggle.

She stressed that the conference is not merely a meeting but a strategic step to unify the women’s vision for a democratic, pluralistic, decentralized Syria that guarantees women’s rights and the rights of all communities, built on the free will of its people. She highlighted the importance of issuing a unified stance for women.

Loqu noted that despite attempts to erase their role, Syrian women have historically played a central part in struggles against colonialism and in social and political movements, especially under the Baath Party, which imposed decades of marginalization, political monopoly, and suppression of freedoms.

She added that Syria has entered a new phase following the collapse of the central regime, but it remains under new forms of oppression, with systems that continue to commit violence against women.

She criticized incidents in Sweida and the Syrian coast involving killings, kidnappings, assaults, and massacres targeting women, describing them as wounds in the social fabric and indicators of a system that views women merely as objects or commodities. She said: “We will not accept a system that represses us in the name of religion or another that kills us in the name of power.”

Loqu emphasized that Kongra Star was established 20 years ago as a movement for women’s liberation, based on the principle that women’s liberation is key to society’s liberation. She noted that the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” is not just a slogan but a tangible reality, highlighting the participation of thousands of women in politics, administration, defense, and the economy, achieving historic gains in the Middle East.

She recalled the resistance of the Women’s Protection Units in North and East Syria, which became a defending army protecting women, resisting extremist nationalist ideologies, and fighting against ISIS mercenaries and Turkish occupation forces, proving that women are the first line of defense for freedom and societal gains.

Loqu affirmed that Syria’s future must be democratic, decentralized, pluralistic, and built on the free will of all peoples and communities, including women. She rejected any political process that does not include women in at least 50% of decision-making positions.

She stated: “No constitution written without women’s participation has legitimacy, and there can be no true peace without the voice of women.”

She stressed that transitional justice must include women at the forefront of truth and accountability committees, documenting violations and holding perpetrators accountable, such as mercenaries “Abu Amsha and Hatem Abu Shaqra,” asserting that justice is essential for safeguarding the future and preventing the repetition of tragedies.

Loqu announced the objectives of the Kongreya Star conference for a patriotic and renewed Syria as follows:

- Build a democratic, pluralistic, decentralized Syria that protects the rights of women and all communities.

- Ensure women’s representation at no less than 50% in all state institutions and local councils.

- Draft a new constitution that includes women as key actors, guarantees their rights, and ensures separation of religion and state.

- Hold a comprehensive national conference for Syrian women to unify the women’s vision.

- Active participation in transitional justice and representation of women in investigative committees.

- Abolish all discriminatory laws against women and adopt legislation that protects them.

- Protect the achievements of the revolution in North and East Syria and support the democratic self-administration.

- Promote a national identity based on cultural and religious diversity.

- Build a democratic, environmentally conscious, and liberating society in line with the philosophy “Woman, Life, Freedom.”

- Reject all forms of occupation and foreign intervention, especially Turkish occupation and support for jihadist factions.

A speech on behalf of the Women of Zenobia Gathering was delivered by spokesperson Khod al-Ali, who welcomed attendees and emphasized that women from Raqqa, Tabqa, and Deir ez-Zor bear a historical responsibility in building Syria’s future. She recalled the suffering under ISIS occupation and violations against women, including killings, kidnappings, sexual assaults, and the sale of women in human trafficking markets.

She noted that Syrian women did not surrender, joining the Women’s Protection Units and fighting bravely against mercenaries, praising the Syrian Democratic Forces for liberating territory and protecting the people.

Al-Ali stressed that women’s empowerment is not a slogan but a necessity to build a prosperous democratic society, with gains for women to include all women without exception.

She affirmed that Syria’s future must guarantee justice and equality for women, protect them from violence and discrimination, ensure their participation in education, work, leadership, and decision-making, and strengthen civil society to defend their rights.

She called for unifying all Syrian women to work toward a better future.

The conference program will also include speeches from Druze and Alawite women, the Syriac Women’s Union, the Armenian Women’s Union, a speech by Fawza Youssef, a member of the Democratic Union Party executive, along with performances by the Women’s Protection Units, the Syrian Women’s Council, and the Yazidi Women’s Union, concluding with a final statement.

A-H

ANHA