WUNRN
They move carefully between
constantly changing checkpoints, where they’re often harassed. Extremists have
been known to target female activists—beating them for not dressing
conservatively enough. Or they may be detained. It happens frequently,
especially if their activities are known to the government authorities. Even if
not directly targeted, they live and work under constant shelling and
deprivation, lacking food and water, and are often unable to communicate with
activists a few neighborhoods away.
Yet, since the uprising
began almost three years ago, Syrian women have demonstrated exceptional
creativity and resilience. Despite their heroic efforts, these leaders have
received too little attention from policymakers and the media and have not been fully consulted as part of
the ongoing negotiations.
Here are 10 ways Syrian
women are building peace and democracy in their country.
Women were among the first
to take to the streets in March 2011. Though it’s become increasingly
dangerous, many have continued these efforts. For instance, young women in
Qamishli campaigned for disarmament, hanging posters throughout the city and
organizing support via Facebook.
As acts of civil
disobedience and to draw attention to the suffering in the country, women have glued shut the
doors of government buildings and put red dye into public fountains so the
water resembles blood. They’ve held banners
outside of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) centers that say,
“You’re not going to change our life.” Side by side with men, they’ve kept the
revolution in touch with its nonviolent, democratic roots.
Women are seen as less
threatening, so they’re often able to transport needed supplies through
checkpoints without being searched. An activist who attended one of Inclusive
Security’s workshops last year lived 60 km from
Later, when the city was
under Free Syrian Army control, her sister publicly called the local councils
to account when the aid supplies they claimed to be distributing didn’t match
up with what families were receiving. In this way, she ensured families didn’t
find themselves short on much-needed food or medicine.
Many women are also
involved with the Local Coordination Committees (co-founded
by prominent female activist Razan Zeitouneh). The LCCs, beyond being the
primary organizers of continued revolutionary activities, are administering
relief and other services in many liberated areas.
Most schools inside the
country were government-run and have been closed for the duration of the
conflict. If it weren’t for the many temporary schools established by women,
traumatized children would have nowhere to go. Women have also created art
therapy and other programs for psychological healing for citizens of all ages.
For instance, through her
Foundation to Restore Education and Equality in
In addition to her work
with the LCCs, attorney and activist Razan Zeitouneh founded the Violation Documentation Center to monitor
and report on kidnappings, detentions, disappearances, and murders by armed
actors in
In early December, she, her
husband, and two other activists were abducted; their whereabouts are unknown.
The VDC continues to document and draw attention to the situation on the
ground.
In April 2011, 2,000 women
and children blocked a highway in Banias and successfully demanded that
hundreds of men who had been rounded up in neighboring villages be released by
the government. Since that early protest, women have been leaders on this issue
(Rima Fleihan is in charge of negotiating it for the
opposition in
Women have also negotiated
cessation of hostilities between armed actors on the local level in order to
allow aid to pass through these zones. In Zabadani, a
Rather than wait for a
democratic transition at the national level, Syrian women are busy promoting
local and municipal elections. Since the country has experienced dictatorship
for 40 years, one woman in a town near Idlib is raising awareness of what free
and fair elections entail. She’s working with citizens and candidates to
explain the electoral process, curtail corruption, and ensure voters know their
rights and responsibilities.
In
To counteract the prevalent
narratives of extremism and sectarianism, women have utilized different
platforms to disseminate a message of peace and reconciliation. In Qamishli,
students held festivals to promote peace and coexistence between Arabs and
Kurds. Women Waging Peace Network member Honey Al Sayed founded Radio SouriaLi,
which broadcasts on the internet to bypass censors and reach Syrians inside and
outside the country. The organization promotes civic engagement, community
development, and responsible citizenship, under the motto “Unity in Diversity.”
Similarly, Reem Halibi
started Radio Naseem, the first female-owned independent radio station in
The Day After Project,
vice-chaired by Women Waging Peace Network member Afra Jalabi, convened a series of meetings
to outline a plan to reconstruct
Inside
Eight women are
participating on the opposition’s negotiating and technical teams, while two
women are on the regime’s delegation. The female delegates at
Forty-seven prominent women
leaders gathered in
Similarly, the Syrian Women’s Forum for Peace
brought together a diverse group of 60 women in
Kristin Williams is Writer and Program Associate at The Institute for Inclusive Security, where she strengthens women’s leadership in the Middle East and North Africa and makes the case globally for women’s substantive participation in the peace and security decisions that affect their lives.
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