Syrian Women under fire of violations in 2025

Throughout 2025, Syrian women have faced a series of severe violations, beginning with systematic exclusion from decision-making positions and participation in shaping the country’s future. These violations escalated into more violent forms such as killings, kidnappings, and sexual assaults, particularly in the coastal areas and Sweida.

Exclusionary Trends

Repeated statements by officials in the Syrian Interim Government have reflected a clear tendency to exclude women from leadership roles. Notably, the so-called government spokesperson, Obeida Arnout, justified excluding women from military and security fields by citing the "psychological and biological nature of women," a stance considered an extension of dominant patriarchal thinking that sparked widespread criticism.

Similarly, Aisha Al-Dibs, head of the Women’s Affairs Office in the Interim Government, declared that "a woman’s natural place is the home," and expressed opposition to appointing women who do not adhere to the government’s religious and cultural approach. Currently, only one woman holds a secondary ministerial position in the government, without clear authorities.

The proposed constitutional declaration by the government has also stirred extensive controversy due to the absence of any provisions ensuring women’s representation in political life or in constitution-drafting committees.

A report by the Syrian Women’s Council indicated that the project consolidates executive power in the hands of the prime minister, with clear exclusion of women.

Shocking Numbers for the First Half of 2025

Since the beginning of the year until now, more than 635 women have been killed as a result of direct killings in massacres and various violent incidents within areas controlled by the Interim Government, according to reports from the Syrian Observatory, the Rased Network, and the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

These organizations also documented over 400 cases of enforced disappearance, alongside numerous kidnappings targeting women and young girls in various Syrian cities.

In February 2025, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the arrest of two women amid a campaign that included 200 arbitrary arrests in the countryside of Damascus and Hama.

Women from Idlib, Al-Ghab Plain, and western Aleppo countryside also reported harassment and security summons due to their civil activism or political opinions.

Bloody Massacres in Sweida and the Coast

On the ground, Sweida and its countryside became scenes of bloody violations targeting women and children directly in July.

On July 13, a child was killed in the Maqous neighborhood by gunfire during clashes. On July 15, a woman and two children were killed inside the Al-Ridwan guesthouse during a mass execution.

Between July 16 and 19, field executions of more than 180 people were documented, including women and children, along with deliberate arson crimes inside homes.

On July 17, Dr. Faten Hilal was killed by a bullet while on her way to work.

On July 19, a woman from the Bedouin tribes was killed along with her three children after their home was stormed. Additionally, around 70 Druze women and young girls have been documented missing since the conflict began in Sweida.

The coastal areas of Syria witnessed wide-scale attacks by armed groups affiliated with the Interim Government between March 6 and 10, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,060 people, according to the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. The center’s report highlighted numerous moral violations, including torture, beatings, sectarian insults, death threats, and terrorizing children.

Reuters reported the death toll to be around 1,400, while local sources affirm that the actual number is significantly higher.

Local reports also indicated that hundreds of women in Latakia, Homs, Hama, and Tartus have been kidnapped, with the fate of many still unknown. No official investigations or accountability measures for those responsible have been published.

Restrictive Legislation on Personal Freedoms

In June 2025, the Interim Government imposed a law obliging women to wear the “proper attire” in public places, with penalties including fines or expulsion for violations.

Campaigns by so-called “moral police” have been documented targeting women at beaches and public facilities, with a clear exemption for those close to influential powers.

ANHA