Rising violence against women in Aleppo sparks calls for justice, equality 

A statement was delivered to the public today in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood by Zainab Aliko, a member of the Sara Organization to Combat Violence Against Women in Aleppo. The statement was made in the presence of representatives from several women’s groups and feminist movements.

The statement began by noting that “the difficult circumstances facing Syria, combined with the dominant authoritarian mindset and outdated customs and traditions, have negatively impacted women’s conditions, turning them into victims of this oppressive mentality.”

It added that “women continue to suffer from marginalization and are subjected to various forms of abuse, including rape, child marriage, and even murder, often under the pretext of ‘honor.’”

The statement pointed out that “Aleppo has recently witnessed a series of killings that have stripped women of their right to life. Perpetrators range from husbands and brothers to other male relatives or even society itself.”

It further stressed that “the patriarchal mindset that deems women’s bodies as the property of men allows them to inflict wounds, commit rape, assault, and even kill without consequence or accountability.”

The groups emphasized the urgent need to “combat this authoritarian mentality and uproot it entirely.”

In conclusion, the feminist organizations denounced these crimes as “inhuman,” and demanded the enactment of legislation that would uphold justice and equality, while holding perpetrators fully accountable and imposing the harshest penalties.

They also called on all women to stand united in resisting such crimes, to increase their awareness, and to seek training that would empower them to protect themselves from betrayal and repeated assaults.

A-H 

ANHA