Women's Coordination of SDC reviews its 2026 action plan

The Women's Coordination of the Syrian Democratic Council held its annual meeting today, in the presence of the Co-Chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, Leyla Karaman, members of the Women's Coordination, and representatives of political parties, at the Council's hall in Hasakah.

The meeting began with a minute of silence, followed by an assessment of the political situation by the Deputy Co-Chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, Janda Mohammed, who highlighted the wars, conflicts, and global crises that are impacting global stability.

For her part, Leyla Karaman, co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, indicated that the world is facing a new phase, witnessing a shift in the international balance of power while maintaining a unipolar world order.

On the regional level, Karaman explained that Turkey is facing a new phase that began with a call for peace. She believes it is facing a critical decision: either to seriously engage with this phase and respond to the call for peace, or to face chaos and internal division.

Regarding the Syrian situation, Karaman emphasized that "the transitional government in Syria, despite a year having passed since the fall of the Ba'ath regime, has not achieved any real solutions to the suffering of the Syrian people, and its internal steps remain incomplete. She believes that external legitimacy has not translated into internal legitimacy, and that the pillars of the revolution are not yet complete, as exclusion and marginalization still prevail instead of democracy and peace."

She stressed the necessity of unity among Syrians and political forces to draft a constitution that guarantees rights in a civil and democratic Syria. She considers decentralization a fundamental condition for rebuilding the state, not dismantling it, and that women must be active partners in all stages of this reconstruction. She warned that suffering would continue if serious steps were not taken, noting that the March 10 agreement represents a new foundational phase that should include a ceasefire, representation for all groups, and guarantees for the return of displaced persons, and should not be limited to the military aspect alone. She affirmed that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) form the nucleus of a new national army.

She stressed that 2026 must be a year of stability and genuine participation for all groups, with the strengthening of women's and youth alliances to form a democratic front capable of achieving the desired change.

The participants pointed out that Syria is still living in a state of chaos after the fall of the Ba'ath regime, without any real change. Instead, the country has witnessed massacres, killings, and looting, while some leaders in the Ministry of Defense of the transitional government have evaded sanctions by changing their identities.

They affirmed that the people of North and East Syria are the most serious in their pursuit of building a democratic, pluralistic state, and emphasized the importance of implementing the March 10 agreement to guarantee security and stability.

They noted that democracy is being misused in a distorted way that deprives Syrian communities, especially women, of their fundamental rights. They called for cooperation among Syrian women to change the authoritarian mindset and ensure women's participation as active political partners in shaping Syria's future.

The meeting included a Zoom intervention by Sinem Mohammed, the representative of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) in the United States. During her intervention, she stressed the need to curb hate speech, emphasizing that patriarchal discourse still dominates in Syria. She explained that the revolution cannot be called the "Syrian Revolution" until the concepts and perceptions surrounding women are changed, guaranteeing their true role in society and politics.

Following this, the annual report was read, outlining the work and activities undertaken by women within the SDC.

The meeting concluded with a review of the SDC Women's Coordination's 2026 action plan, which focused on three main pillars:

Women's Office:

- Empowering women politically and socially and expanding their presence in decision-making positions.

- Building a broad Syrian women's network through political workshops on negotiation, political analysis, and constitutional matters.

- Building relationships and reaching the largest possible number of women by establishing a Syrian network, a public women's forum, and a digital media campaign entitled "Your Voice Matters."

- Creating interactive platforms for communication via social media to exchange feminist and political experiences.

Media Office:

- Strengthening the role of women by producing media dialogues and interviews with influential women.

- Developing research and analytical articles on marginalization and political and legal representation.

- Issuing periodic reports to monitor the reality of political and social participation.

- Providing media coverage of the Women's Office's activities, advocacy, and influencing public policies, in addition to strengthening relations with international and regional organizations.

Young Women's Office:

- Preparing young women capable of participating in the political process.

- Connecting with young women inside and outside Syria.

- Qualifying them to assume leadership positions within organizational structures in accordance with the requirements of the current stage.

ANHA