NE Syria women launch campaign in solidarity with Suwayda

The statement was read in three languages: Kurdish by Berivan Omar, the member of the Kongra Star,  Arabic by Khud Al-Issa, the spokesperson for the Zenobia Women's Gathering; and Syriac by Samira Hanna, the member of the Syriac Women's Union in Syria.

The platform expressed "its full solidarity with the women of Suwayda, who are facing systematic crimes that violate their dignity, security, and right to life, amidst a complete absence of official protection or effective humanitarian intervention, and a concerning international inaction." It condemned the escalating violence and severe violations against civilians, particularly women, in Suwayda.

The statement cited the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which documented the killing of 1,386 people in just eight days, from July 13 to 21, 2025, including dozens of women and children, along with field executions and violations amounting to crimes against humanity. These figures reveal systematic massacres, confirming that the events in Suwayda are not isolated but part of a deliberate policy of violence aimed at breaking the will of the people and imposing dominance by force.

The statement held the Syrian Transitional Government responsible for its inaction, describing its silence and superficial actions as an evasion of its moral and legal responsibilities to protect civilians. It also criticized fact-finding committees as attempts to whitewash the truth and prolong impunity.

The campaign stems from a sense of moral and humanitarian responsibility and a firm belief that protecting women and defending their dignity and right to life is a collective duty. The campaign aims to amplify women's voices against these crimes, create shared spaces between women of North and East Syria and Suwayda to build effective solidarity, document violations for international accountability, and raise community awareness to expose policies that turn women into silent victims.

Campaign Demands:

- Immediate ceasefire and cessation of all forms of violence against civilians without delay.

- Opening safe humanitarian corridors to allow civilians, especially women and children, to leave conflict zones without threat or fear.

- Release of abducted and detained women and an end to all forms of torture and enforced disappearance.

- Urgent delivery of humanitarian aid (food, water, medicine) to besieged and affected areas, ensuring it is not obstructed or politicized.

- Safe and continuous opening of the Damascus-Suwayda road as an urgent humanitarian necessity to ensure aid flow and save lives.

- Immediate response from the Transitional Government, including official approval to receive humanitarian aid sent by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, as a purely humanitarian initiative free from political calculations.

- Provision of effective international protection to prevent further crimes and create a safe and stable environment for women and civilians.

- Prevention of forced displacement of Suwayda residents, ensuring their right to remain safely and with dignity in their homes and areas.

- Formation of an independent international investigation committee to document crimes and hold perpetrators accountable without politicization or bias.

Campaign Program (July 30 to August 5, 2025):

- Wednesday, July 30: Official campaign launch in Qamishlo with the reading of the solidarity statement in Arabic, Kurdish, and Syriac, with participation from women’s movements, organizations, councils, and unions in North and East Syria.

- Thursday, July 31: Sending emails to international human rights, humanitarian, and women’s organizations with the campaign statement and urgent demands, calling for immediate intervention to protect women and prevent further crimes.

- Friday, August 1: Launching an online campaign with a unified hashtag reflecting the campaign’s title, encouraging widespread social media participation to break the silence and urge international media to cover the violations.

- Saturday, August 2: Broadcasting a media platform on a TV channel to give women and activists a space to discuss Suwayda’s crimes and share solidarity messages from women in North and East Syria to their sisters in Suwayda.

- Sunday, August 3: On the anniversary of the Sinjar massacre (August 3, 2014), which targeted Yazidi women, and amid escalating crimes against Suwayda women, simultaneous protests will be held in Hasaka, Raqqa, and Aleppo, involving women’s organizations and community figures, to demand protection, accountability, and an end to genocide, emphasizing women’s unity against patriarchal fascist mentalities.

- Monday, August 4: Preparing a documented file of violations and crimes to be submitted to relevant human rights and UN bodies.

- Tuesday, August 5: Holding a women’s dialogue forum in Hasaka to highlight the situation of women in Syria, the violations they face, and ways to document and hold perpetrators accountable, while discussing women’s roles in leading the next phase and enhancing their participation in community and political work.

The forum and campaign will conclude with clear mechanisms for protection, solidarity among women and democratic forces, continued efforts to combat violence and impunity, and support for resolving the Syrian crisis and building lasting peace.

a.k

ANHA