Women's Rights in Syria

Once again the Extremists, ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, attack the women of Syria. Not physically but socially and emotionally. They have tightened the laws and regulations for all citizens, but have also worsened the conditions and situations of women in the country.

Though the life of a women has been bad for many hundreds of years, all of a sudden men who barge into their country and destroy things to shows their power, meanwhile claiming they are strict followers of the Qu'ran, deem themselves the creator of rules in the country.

They have further diminished their sparse rights by restricting any access to education, reducing the ability for them to provide for their families (by keeping them trapped within the confines of their home) and even obtain the basic necessities for survival. When women stood up or disobeyed, they would be further isolated even to the extent of not being able to go out, use public transportation and buy bread.

However, women and girls in Syria have it slightly better off than others in neighboring Middle Eastern countries. Syria doesn't have a state-mandated religion and it has a constitution protects freedom of religion. Along with religion, it also guarantees gender equality. However, some of the laws like ones regarding marriage, divorce and inheritance have been fashioned in a way that discriminates against women.

Prior to the taking over by ISIS and other terrorist groups, women had a lot more freedom as Syrian citizens.

“Groups like ISIS and al-Nusra claim to be part of a social movement, yet they seem more focused on diminishing freedom for women and girls than providing any social benefit... As we have seen in situations in Somalia, Mali, and elsewhere, these kinds of restrictions often mark the beginning of a complete breakdown of women’s and girls’ rights.”         

--Liesl Gerntholtz, women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch