Since the beginning of the year, women in Syria have subjected to severe violations, ranging from systematic neglect to exclusion from decision-making processes and roles in shaping the country’s future. Murders, acts of violence, abductions, and sexual assaults against women remain widespread, particularly along the coastal strip and in Sweida (Suwayda).
The exclusion of women from governance is clearly reflected in statements by officials of the Syrian Interim Government. The removal of women from military and security roles has been openly justified by government spokesperson Ubaida Arnaout, who cited “women’s psychological and biological nature” as a reason. Aisha Al-Dibis, the only woman in the government and head of the Women’s Affairs Office, declared, “A woman’s natural place is the home.” She also stated that women who do not conform to the government’s religious and cultural standards would not be appointed to official positions.
Meanwhile, the constitutional declaration published by the Syrian Interim Government contains no provisions regarding the political representation of women or their inclusion in constitutional drafting committees. The declaration and its underlying anti-women stance.
According to data from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Rassed Network, and the Syrian Network for Human Rights, more than 635 women have been killed since the beginning of 2025 in areas controlled by the Syrian Interim Government. Additionally, more than 400 women remain missing across different parts of Syria, with no information on their whereabouts.
In a report published in February, the Syrian Network for Human Rights stated that out of 200 people abducted in the rural areas of Damascus and Hama, two were women.
The same organization reported that in Idlib, Sahl al-Ghab, and the western countryside of Aleppo, women have been harassed and interrogated by security forces due to their civil activism and political views.
Massacres in Sweida and the coastal region
Since 13 July, Sweida has witnessed a wave of massacres. On 13 July, a child was killed during clashes in the Miqewes neighborhood. On 15 July, an attack on the Al-Radwan Hall resulted in the deaths of a woman and two children.
Between 16 and 19 July, more than 180 people, including women and children, were killed, and homes were set on fire. On 17 July, a doctor named Fatin Hilal was murdered by armed groups while on her way to work.
On 19 July, a Bedouin woman was killed along with her three children during a raid on their home. Since the start of the Sweida attacks, 70 women have been reported missing.
Armed groups affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government also carried out large-scale attacks in the coastal region between 6 and 10 March. According to the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, at least 1,600 people were killed in these assaults, during which acts of torture, beatings, verbal abuse, death threats, and intimidation of children were committed.
Reuters reported that the death toll had reached approximately 1,400, but local sources confirm that the actual number is significantly higher.
Hundreds of women were reportedly abducted in Latakia, Hama, Homs, and Tartus, and the fate of many remains unknown.
Laws restricting individual freedoms
In June, the Syrian Interim Government passed a law mandating that women wear religious attire in public spaces. As part of this law, “morality police” carried out inspection operations targeting women. However, women with close ties to government officials were reportedly exempt from these practices.
Source: ANF News
