Syrian women… victim of violations, reliable party in the path to a solution - Hevidar Khalid

As the Syrian crisis enters its fourteenth year, the suffering of the people across the entire Syrian geography continues as a result of the policies of the parties and regional and international powers involved in this file, which increases the complexity of the crisis even more, instead of finding radical solutions to it. Therefore, there are stories of endless pain and suffering in every part of this ancient geography. Every house has a story, and every city with this crisis has countless stories.

Syria, which was the cradle of human civilizations throughout history, has today become a hotbed for exporting terrorism to the world, a center for settling scores with the superpowers represented by America and Russia, and an arena for perpetuating the conflict for economic, military and political interests that are neglecting of innocent Syrian blood, in the wake of deals and agreements because of which the Syrian people are living as humanitarian disasters. Every second and minute. All age groups, especially women and children, were affected by this war, which caused the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands and losses estimated at millions of dollars.

Tens of thousands of children lost their lives and thousands lost their parents, and a large portion of them were displaced and forcibly displaced from their homes as a result of the harsh war in the multiple areas of influence. Thousands of them were also subjected to physical disabilities as a result of the air and ground bombardment that targeted their villages and towns, in light of the ongoing conflict between several parties, most notably the Syrian government, the Turkish occupation, the so-called “Syrian opposition” and other parties supporting it, who have turned the country into an arena of serious human rights violations.

Women are the ones who paid, and still are, a heavy bill in this bitter war. Although the condition of Syrian women was not good before the crisis that swept the country in 2011, this war exacerbated their suffering and tragedies even more, and deepened their torment, as they were... As we know, under the rule of the Baath regime, it suffers from great difficulties as a result of its repressive policies.

After assuming power, the Baath Party turned the country into an arena available to achieve its family goals. With its strong security grip, it practiced various repressive policies, ranging from preventing the practice of politics to depriving people of their most basic rights in life. Everything is in the service of the Assad family, everything is for him alone. His aides, supporters, and the people are starving, and are subjected to torture, forced disappearance, persecution, and threats, which were and still are a part of the life of the Syrian people who oppose the authorities.

As we talk about all this, we must not forget the arrests that the security services are known for in Syria, as it is impossible to know after arrest what will happen to you, but the only thing you can know is that your fate will inevitably be death, and it becomes impossible to even think. Getting out of detention. These strict security practices established the idea of rule by one family, and the slogan “Our leader forever is the faithful Hafez al-Assad,” which was chanted by pupils and students in the regime’s schools every morning, is the best example of this. They made everything they sought to achieve in the service of their own interests a slogan that they repeated morning and evening.

Political work was difficult under the rule of the tyrannical person and his totalitarian regime, and it remains difficult to this day, whether in areas controlled by the regime or areas occupied by Turkey. Therefore, women in Syria were prevented for many years from participating in politics and were deprived of their most basic rights in life as a result. Persecuted by men in power. Restrictions were also placed on women's participation in other fields in which they have the right, which means putting an end to their energies, interaction, and activities in public life.

Women have also been exposed and are still subjected to violence, and have suffered and are still suffering from the economic crisis as a result of the authority’s seizure of all the country’s resources and are no longer able to secure their daily livelihood. The decrees that the government issues from time to time, of which women are the first to be affected, deepen the crisis in light of the low government salary that does not It exceeds 13 US dollars amid the rise in house rents and basic materials, and the low levels of infrastructure, basic and living services, and in all vital sectors.

With the continuation of the Syrian crisis, women have become the breadwinners in many families, and are forced to meet all the requests of their family members. Therefore, they face great hardships throughout their life, and all of this stems from the government’s policies seeking to plunder the people with the aim of preserving the throne and remaining at the helm of power.

Of course, women's conditions in the areas occupied by Turkey are not better than in areas controlled by the Syrian government. Women are the most affected by the demographic change policies led by Turkey today, in addition to the tireless and continuous kidnappings, beatings, looting and plundering operations, which have become systematic attacks targeting the spirit and entity of women and harming them, amid their continued exposure in the prisons of Turkish mercenaries to the most heinous anti-human rights practices and violations. .

In the city of Idlib, which is controlled by the terrorist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (formerly the Jabhet al-Nusra), women there also face serious violations in public space, workplaces, and in the prisons affiliated with Jabhet al-Nusra, in addition to suffering from poor living conditions. What are the demonstrations that take place daily in the city and its countryside? Except as a reaction against Al-Nusra’s practices and policies against opponents, which women must resist and not submit to.

The women of occupied Afrin, northwestern Syria, are also not in the best condition, as they are exposed to immoral practices, especially countless crimes of sexual assault, while the international community turns a blind eye to all the crimes committed against them. The Human Rights Organization, Afrin - Syria, revealed in August 2023 the toll of crimes and violations of the Turkish occupation state against women in Afrin, and reported that more than a thousand women were kidnapped, 99 killed, and 74 other women were subjected to crimes of assault and sexual violence during five years of Occupation.

As for the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria, it confirmed in a new report issued last Monday that the Turkish occupation’s air attacks on the regions of North and East Syria may amount to war crimes, and confirmed that Ankara’s targeting of power stations and depriving a million people of water and electricity is a violation of international humanitarian law.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights, for its part, said in its report on the occasion of International Women’s Day, which was titled, “On International Women’s Day, there are increasing needs and a continuing decline in the basic rights of women in Syria,” that more than sixteen thousand women have lost their lives at the hands of parties to the conflict since the outbreak of the conflict. The crisis in the country in 2011.

Syria also ranked at the bottom of the list of countries in the world in the Democracy Index for the year 2023, and ranked 163 globally with a score of (1.43), while the crisis in the country continues, amid the absence of any real initiatives or efforts to put an end to this dilemma.

Syria needs a political solution urgently, and women can lead the solution path. Before now, they launched many initiatives for that, and today they can do that as well, despite all the attacks and policies they are exposed to at the present time. We see how women in North and East Syria were able to organize Its ranks and building a new life and a new system that is hostile to the male mental structure, authoritarian regimes, and policies that oppress women, exclude their role, and target their existence. Women founded a real revolution in the region, and their regime became the ideal model for resolving all crises. Despite the continuous genocidal attacks against her and the war crimes committed against her, she did not surrender to reality, but rather continued to struggle to achieve the goals and demands for which she came out.

Here we must remember the role that Syrian women play today in the popular protests taking place in As-Suwayda Governorate and their active participation in the activities calling for the departure of Bashar al-Assad, and demanding a decentralized system for the country to emerge from the crisis it has been going through for years. It also demands the implementation of Resolution 2,254, which expresses the political solution for Syria, through its participation in the movement, following the collapse of the economic system and widespread unemployment.

  The path to ending the crisis requires the combined efforts of all women. To achieve a real path and end the suffering of Syrian women and find a solution with the participation of all Syrian parties, especially the Syrian Women’s Council and the Women’s Coordination in the Syrian Democratic Council, which have a national project and a real and clear vision for the Syrian-Syrian solution that takes internal dialogue as its approach. Here we can recall the initiative launched by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria last year to resolve the crisis, and it included dozens of items that mostly serve Syrians, especially women.

T/ Satt.

ANHA