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Women in the Syrian revolution

The beginning of the Syrian revolution in March 2011 provided a window of opportunity for change in women’s rights. But in the last 31 months, women’s issues have been cast aside, with geopolitics and violence taking center stage. Friday, the United States Institute of Peace hosted a discussion on the role of women in the Syrian revolution.

Moderator Steven Heydemann set the stage for the four activists on the panel. He said there is a distinct set of narratives that have dominated the conflict in Syria. The first three—the narrative of geopolitics, the narrative of the war on the ground, and the narrative of the humanitarian crisis—are what have been most commonly depicted in the Western media. The fourth narrative, the role of women in the revolution, is a major aspect of the conflict that is largely unknown outside of Syria.

Over the last 31 months, Syrian women have gained a strong feeling of independence. Before the uprising, the pressure to conform to Syrian social norms kept women quiet on social and political issues. Oula Ramadan of the Syrian Women’s Network said that the revolution empowered women.  The unrest gave them a chance to transform Syrian life. Women have been forced to take on new responsibilities—such as fighting, community leadership, and supporting their families. Women are finally able to increase their influence on the neighborhood, town, and city levels. But it remains to be seen if they can break through the historic Syrian social norms and gain representation in national negotiations on the future of their country. Read more