Boosting Syrian Women’s Political Empowerment

January 27, 2022 - Civil society can only be true to its name when all its members are active participants in the public affairs that concern them, and when women are an integral part of the decision making process. Through the Together for a Better Tomorrow initiative, supported by Baytna’s Outline Program, women in Tripoli and Al Minyah have taken part in an important training that helps prepare them to become more involved in their community’s political affairs.

As the young founders of the initiative explained, enabling women to participate in political life is a basic necessity and a qualitative shift in public life, wherever these women may be: “The participation of Syrian women in politics will have a positive and significant impact on the Syrian crisis, if we invest in these capabilities and build the foundations."

One of the noteworthy aspects of this training is that it joins together women from a wide range of educational backgrounds, from functional illiteracy, to primary level, to high school graduates. Regardless of their level, the women found it personally enriching to be able to discuss common concerns with others.

“As illiterate women,” one participant said, “the support we had been offered until now mainly dealt with issues such as healthcare, education, raising children, and reproductive health. While there is nothing wrong with learning about these subjects, we were never given a chance to experience something beyond these concepts, like sociology or politics.”

Khawla, one of the initiative’s members, got the ball rolling when she suggested approaching a small group of non-formally educated Syrian women in Al Minyah. Following an introductory session in one of the city's cultural centers, she was convinced of the need to nurture their abilities to change their lives, and to change Syria in the future.

The initiative then reached out to 20 women aged 18 to 65, inviting them to begin this training in the cultural center. Participants were introduced to political concepts and terms such as citizenship, democracy, elections, governance, leadership, and were trained on women's important role in sociopolitical matters, and in their own part in educating their children on civic issues.  

Hayat, leader of the Together for a Better Tomorrow initiative, was encouraged by participants’ enthusiasm at accessing such trainings for the first time: “Before this training, many of them had always considered themselves to be receivers, rather than meaningful actors who could participate, get involved, express their opinions, and take action.”

One of the young participants, Hanaa, mentioned her interest in learning more about political concepts and movements regarding women’s rights and feminism. “After the training, I started talking about the subjects we had learned with my friends during our social gatherings. I want to continue learning and complete my education, and to work in politics one day. And I now know that being a woman does not mean that I should accept whatever is offered to me, but instead expect a good salary according to my skills and abilities.” 

Baytna’s coordinator in Tripoli, Nour, reported that one of the older participants had told her that “it is very nice that the team respected our presence and gave us confidence, insisting that we do have an influence in politics, that we are not only housewives, and that we can do more!"

To read more about Baytna’s diverse contributions to Syrian civil society, through its three programs, please visit our website and follow us on social media.