(Syrian Network for Human Rights)- Syrian women’s fundamental rights – whether social, security-related, economic, health or psychological – have deteriorated severely at every level following the Syrian regime’s brutal retaliation against Syrian society in response to the outbreak of the popular uprising for democracy in Syria in March 2011.
Whilst it’s true that all parts of Syrian society have been affected by the repercussions of the conflict, women have been the worst affected due to their responsibilities and their social and health status. Women have also been subjected to various types of violations, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrest, torture, executions, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, enforced displacement, siege and denial of health care and basic services. Many of these violations, especially killing, torture and enforced disappearance, are of such a vast magnitude that the country now suffers the worst rates globally.
Syrian women and girls have not been the victims of the conflict in any indirect way, but have been directly and systematically targeted by all parties to the conflict, primarily the Syrian regime, whose crimes are on such a massive scale that it is far ahead of any other perpetrator in the conflict by a massive margin. Women have been targeted for many reasons, including their effective contribution to social, humanitarian, political, human rights, relief, medical and media work, or simply because they are females, with the objective of marginalizing and breaking them, and to suppress society and intimidate them through the horrendous consequences of opposing the state authorities.
Women are a particular target due to the fundamental role of women in the Syrian society linked to societal norms and beliefs. In addition, women have suffered other types of violations, including constraints and restrictions on work, education and clothing, as well as access to appropriate health care in areas controlled by ISIS and Hay’at Tahrir al Sham. They have also suffered from forced conscription in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, as well as persecution, intimidation, and blackmail in areas under the control of factions of the Armed Opposition. Many women have also suffered from the loss of the main breadwinners in their families, as well as living in dreadful living conditions in light of displacement, and from early and forced marriage.
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