Empowerment women's decision-making one utmost outcome forum in Hasakh

The Joint Activities Platform for Women's Movements and Organizations in North and East Syria organized a dialogue forum today under the theme "Syrian Women's Solidarity: The Basis for Stopping the Massacres Against Women in the Coast," at Al-Mashwar Park in the Tal Hajar neighborhood of Hasakah city.

The dialogue forum was attended by numerous women's, social, human rights, and political organizations, as well as the co-chair of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria, Avin Sweid, and representatives of the Kurdish, Arab, Syriac, and Yazidi communities in North and East Syria.

The forum began with a moment of silence, followed by an opening speech by Sabah Shabo, a member of the Women's Council Coordination Committee in North and East Syria. In her speech, she emphasized that "the massacres that occurred on the Syrian coast remind us of those that have occurred in North and East Syria, especially against women throughout history." She noted that women in the region have supported affected women on the coast and called on all Syrian women to stand together with one voice.

At the end of her speech, Sabah Shabo thanked the Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria and the Kurdish Red Crescent for the aid they provided to those affected on the coast, saying, "The delivery of aid was proof that we are one people."

The forum then began, comprising two main themes:

The first theme, "Massacres Against Women," was moderated by Shahrazad al-Jassim, a member of the Zenobia Women's Gathering, who emphasized that "the Zenobia Women's Gathering is working hard to advance women's rights and achieve justice and equality in Syria."

She pointed out that the massacres committed against women and children on the Syrian coast require urgent action from everyone to expose these atrocities.

Shahrazad added, "No sooner had the drums of war stopped beating than the massacres began on the Syrian coast, leading to the killing of thousands of women and children at the hands of mercenaries, with many families fleeing to the Hmeimim base."

Many women from the Syrian coast joined the discussion forum via WhatsApp, where they spoke about the mass massacres committed against them, as well as against children and men. They also addressed the airstrikes that targeted some coastal villages, and the ongoing massacres against them, despite these events remaining hidden from social media coverage and coverage. The women participating in the forum thanked the Autonomous Administration and the women of North and East Syria for their ongoing initiatives to provide support to the Syrian coast, emphasizing the importance of these initiatives in alleviating their suffering.

The second session, titled "Women's Position on the Constitutional Declaration," was moderated by Amina Omar, a member of the Women's Council Coordination Committee in North and East Syria. She emphasized that "the Constitutional Declaration has sparked widespread controversy in Syria after fifty-four years of dictatorial rule and fourteen years of devastating war."

She pointed out that the declaration did not achieve consensus among Syrians. She explained that it did not mention the name of any component of the Syrian people in the drafting of the constitution, which constitutes an exclusion of these components. The declaration also insisted on the name "Syrian Arab Republic" instead of "Syrian Republic," which contradicts the aspirations of Syrians.

Amina Omar emphasized the importance of rewriting the constitution to guarantee women's rights and recognize the diversity of Syrian society. She also called for the drafting of a new constitution that promotes equality and social justice and protects political and social pluralism.

Then the discussions had been occurred among the attendees, focusing on the massacres committed against women on the Syrian coast, as well as the massacres suffered by Syrian women in general at the hands of dictatorial regimes. The focus was also on the need to end the ongoing massacres against women, and to discuss the "Constitutional Declaration" and the marginalization of the rights of other Syrian communities through this declared constitution. The need to amend the constitutional process to guarantee the rights of all Syrian communities and groups without exception was emphasized.

The dialogue forum of the Joint Activities Platform for Women's Movements and Organizations in North and East Syria concluded with a set of recommendations, including:

- Forming independent international investigation and monitoring committees to ensure the documentation of all violations and massacres committed against women and other communities on the Syrian coast, in accordance with international legal standards, with those responsible referred to competent courts to achieve justice and accountability.

- Ensuring the achievement of transitional justice and holding perpetrators accountable through comprehensive legal mechanisms that include reparations for victims, and ensuring the non-recurrence of crimes through political, legal, and societal reforms that promote human rights.

- Implementing Security Council Resolution 2254 as a binding framework for achieving a comprehensive ceasefire, ending the conflict, and ensuring women's participation in the political process, ensuring it is inclusive, democratic, and non-exclusionary, reflecting the aspirations of all Syrians.

- Exerting international pressure to implement Security Council Resolution 1,325 on the protection of women in armed conflict.

- Empowering women and ensuring their effective role in decision-making and peacebuilding through binding policies and legislation that promote women's access to leadership positions and ensure their full participation in the reconstruction of Syria on a just, democratic basis.

- Repealing the Constitutional Declaration issued by the Damascus authorities and the need to draft a new constitution that guarantees the rights of all women and all components without discrimination, is based on the principles of equality and social justice, and protects political and social pluralism.

- Unifying women's efforts and strengthening their strategic alliances by building strong women's networks capable of leading the next phase, confronting attempts to marginalize women, and working to achieve a comprehensive democratic transformation that preserves the rights of women and all segments of society.

The dialogue forum concluded with a call to all Syrian women to unite their efforts to achieve justice and equality and to work to guarantee their rights in Syria's new future.

T/S

ANHA