The Political Coup in Syria and Women's Issues - Sawsan Zakzak
Despite the significant changes occurring in Syria following December 8, 2024, what happened can only be described as a "military coup," where "the regime fell, but the revolution did not succeed." Power has shifted from a repressive, totalitarian regime to a new system whose characteristics have not been clearly established, oscillating between jihadist Islamic fundamentalism and a free economic system under a singular political facade.
The form of political transition in Syria was undemocratic and non-peaceful, posing a significant challenge to the entire Syrian democratic civil movement, particularly the feminist movement. The greatest fear of the democratic movement, with the feminist movement at the forefront, was a military victory for one of the factions in the armed conflict without any constitutional legitimacy.
This situation entrenches an exclusionary basis for governance represented by "the revolutionary legitimacy," which leads to a new exclusionary principle: "whoever liberates decides!"
As much as great joy has prevailed in Syrian society due to the fall of the Assad regime, there were also significant concerns within the Syrian feminist movement that the right to make decisions now belonged to a jihadist Salafi group that opposes women's rights and has a long history of governance in Idlib through the Salvation Government. This group has restricted women's rights and openly opposed equality between women and men, rejected the term "gender," and opposed the use of the term "democracy" and all related international treaties, especially the CEDAW agreement. They have also forced women to wear the hijab, encouraged the wearing of the niqab, and enforced gender segregation in universities in Idlib.
The experience of governance by "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham" and its government in Idlib is one of the clearest examples of a regime hostile to all that pertains to women's rights. Although this government allowed many women's associations to be licensed to operate in only two areas—charitable organizations and political empowerment of women, because it needed a superficial image of women's participation in the political sphere. This allowed it to secure substantial funding from Western organizations, which could be invested in harvesting women's votes if it decided to hold elections at any point. Despite this, Syrian women were only able to access local bodies in Idlib once, and these elections were quickly annulled.
Since "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham" seized power, and after Ahmad al-Shara' (al-Julani) had been appointed to the caretaker government that will continue to operate until the end of February, videos have been circulating showing the Minister of Justice Shadi al-Waisi ordering the execution of women "accused of prostitution" in Idlib in 2015. During this period, al-Waisi was a member of Jabhat al-Nusra (the name of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham before it was changed) and has served as a judge.
The appointment of al-Waisi has cast further doubt on the organization's claims of moderation, particularly after Rami Abdul Rahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, has confirmed to Agence France-Presse the appearance of al-Waisi in the two clips that the observatory had previously documented, dating back to 20151.
The discourse surrounding al-Waisi extended beyond this video encompassing statements attributed to him, which appeared and disappeared like if they were test balloons, suggesting the exclusion of female judges in the Syrian judiciary, and mandating that any woman entering the palace of justice must be veiled!2
Following the appointment of Ubaida Arnaout as the official spokesperson for the political administration affiliated with the military operations management in Syria, Arnaout has stated in press statements that "the essence of women and their biological and psychological nature does not fit all positions, such as the Ministry of Defense, for example." However, Arnaout later vanished along with his statements, which have sparked significant debate within the feminist movement, leading to widespread rejection of his statements had been on social media and in television talk shows.
In late December 2024, al-Shara' has appointed Aisha al-Dabbas, a Syrian civil society activist, as the head of the Women's Affairs Office in the political affairs department of the Syrian transitional government. She became the first woman to assume an official position in the new Syrian administration.
In late December 2024, al-Shara' has appointed Aisha al-Dabbas, a Syrian civil society activist, as the head of the Women's Affairs Office in the political affairs department of the Syrian transitional government. She became the first woman to assume an official position in the new Syrian administration.
Al-Dabbas' statements that "the nature of the Syrian woman prioritizes her home and husband, and she should not exceed the nature for which God has created her" provoked significant reactions from the Syrian feminist movement, which countered her statements through various media platforms. Al-Dabbas further expressed the necessity of developing a unique model for the Syrian woman, asserting "I will not open the way for dissenting opinions!"
A meeting convened in Damascus between al-Dabbas and multiple representatives of associations working with women in Gaziantep, highlighted the significant contradiction between what al-Dabbas has stated and what Arnaout had said, as well as what was rumored about Minister al-Waisi, in relation to the orientations of President Ahmad al-Shara'. When al-Dabbas was asked about the prospects for women's work in the public sphere in Syria, al – Dabbas has indicated that opportunities are extensive, but hindered by resistance from certain factions3.
But what about the transitional president of Syria, Ahmad al-Shara' (al-Julani), and his statements regarding issues pertaining to women's rights, from attire to full participation in public life?
In a broad meeting with several activists, Al-Shara’ has stated that "the application of the niqab will not be imposed on women because it is not obligatory in Islam4."
He emphasized in an interview with BBC before becoming president that the situation of women in Syria would not be similar to that of women in Afghanistan, asserting that "education for women is guaranteed; in Idlib, the percentage of women in universities exceeds 60% of the number of students. The rights of women and whether they wear the hijab or not is a legal matter determined by the constitution and laws, and I am just a person who will implement what the legal experts decide5." However, he postponed all obligations until the ratification of the constitution and laws! When the host asked him about imposing the hijab, he evaded the question, stating that the problems in Syria are much larger than these issues!
In this context, all the European and American delegations that met with Al-Shara’ have emphasized the importance of not imposing the hijab on Syrian women and highlighted the need to grant Syrian women all the rights to which they are entitled to. It was subsequently reported that Al-Shara’ has requested foreign delegations not to address this topic with him, and advocated for Syrian women to actively engage in occupying all available spaces to ensure their rights!
In an initial assessment of women's access to decision-making positions in Syria following the establishment of the new government, Ms. Maha Abdul Rahman was appointed as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Syria to facilitate the bank's operations. In the newly formed Bar Association councils, only two female lawyers were included in two of the recently appointed councils in the provinces, one of which is in Hama. Ms. Reem Mustafa Saleh has been designated as the General Secretary for Tartus Governorate, and the powers were reinstated to the Minister of Culture in Assad's government prior to his fall, Ms. Diala Barakat. Dr. Diana Al-Asmar has been named the General Director of the Children's Hospital in Damascus. Additionally a committee has been established to manage the national dialogue in Syria comprising two women among seven members.
However, the critical question remains whether the seemingly positive signals from the transitional president align with what is happening on the ground, or if they align to the inherent tendencies of jihadist groups that might seek to deprive women of their rights and restrict their personal freedoms!
The current situation on the ground in daily life shows that jihadist trends are unaware of the leadership's orientations, even if these orientations are genuine and sincere. No decision or directive has been issued to the factions on the ground, even those in Damascus and in close proximity to the leadership, to stop a range of behaviors that demean women, such as allocating the back seats of public transport buses for women and the front seats for men, even within workers' transport buses. Furthermore, no clear instructions have been issued from the leadership to cease advocating for the mandatory hijab and niqab, or to stop hanging posters in transport buses that describe women's clothing as having to be covering, not resembling men's clothing, and being loose, non-transparent, and unembellished.
Additionally, no clear directives have been issued to prevent orders for gender segregation within workplaces, which some members of the authority still issue even in government offices!
Syrian women have not remained passive facing these developments, as they have recognized the significant challenges posed by a jihadist rule that may change its appearance at the highest decision-making levels, especially in its attempts to drop the charge of terrorism and secure Western support culminating in international recognition of its legitimacy. However, it will face stubborn internal resistance to changing a deeply entrenched position in its jihadist ideology, which is the hostility towards women's human rights, foremost among them the right to complete equality, the prohibition of discrimination, and the prevention of violence against them! This is in addition to monopolizing power and excluding peaceful opposition structures and bodies from governance, which were represented in the official track of the Geneva negotiations facilitated by the Special Envoy to Syria. The feminist movement in Syria has recognized, since the rule of father and son Assad, the strong correlation between the expansion of democratic spaces and the guarantee of women's rights, and it realizes that reducing these spaces will diminish the chances of securing these rights.
A group of representatives from the feminist movement, along with a number of independent activists, artists, and lawyers, gathered to develop a proactive action plan to affirm that Syrian women are committed to their rights and will express this through a series of collective and individual activities.
The first of these activities was a silent sit-in on December 22, 2024, in Al-Hijaz Square in Damascus and in several squares in some Syrian cities, attended by dozens of women and men with significant media coverage, raising slogans in this sit-in that affirm women's human rights, which women will not concede. Then, a sit-in was organized in front of the Ministry of Education on January 3, 2025, to protest some amendments to the school curriculum that would threaten national unity.
A number of associations have organized some events pertaining to women's rights within the upcoming constitution aimed at enhancing women's participation in public life. Numerous women have actively participated in protests against the dismissal of a considerable number of government workers, most of whom are women, from government jobs under the pretext of overstaffing in the public sector.
The feminist movement is planning to hold a large demonstration on March 8th (International Women's Day) in collaboration with similar events taking place in Europe to reaffirm its adherence to its rights.
The nature of the political transition that occurred in Syria, characterized as a violent transition led by jihadist groups, has placed the feminist movement before two significant and interconnected challenges: the challenge of defending their human rights and the struggle to obtain more rights and secure them in the constitution and laws, and the challenge of ensuring the transition to a democratic secular state that guarantees equal citizenship rights for all its sons and daughters without any exclusion or marginalization.
2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLk7Kj9WFV0
3According to what Dr. R.Z. has
mentioned to the article writer
4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEAi76rbnlQ
5https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lfnP9H9ojM
Recent publications
