Women of Syria; gap between legal provisions, political exclusion
Source: Hawarness
The problem of women’s involvement in political and public activities has been among the major signs of the structural problems in the Syrian state for many decades. There have always been considerable differences between the existing legal provisions and practices, between the discourse on equality and the reality of marginalization from decision-making posts.
The question of Syrian women; all aspects political, military, cultural and educational - remains highly controversial. While Syrian women stress the importance of legally securing their rights, the transitional government seems to strive towards establishing a single-political-state while keeping women politically marginalized from decision-making posts. Regarding political marginalization of women, the situation resembles the previous regime.
The 2012 constitution, established in the era of Ba’ath regime, included two provisions related to women. The first one was Article 23 which stated that “the state shall provide women with all opportunities enabling them to participate effectively and fully in political, economic, social, and cultural life, and shall work to remove restrictions that prevent their development and participation in building society.” Article 33(3), meanwhile, affirmed that “citizens are equal in rights and duties, with no discrimination among them on the basis of sex, origin, language, religion, or belief.”
The problem of women’s involvement in political and public activities has been among the major signs of the structural problems in the Syrian state for many decades. There have always been considerable differences between the existing legal provisions and practices, between the discourse on equality and the reality of marginalization from decision-making posts.
The question of Syrian women; all aspects political, military, cultural and educational - remains highly controversial. While Syrian women stress the importance of legally securing their rights, the transitional government seems to strive towards establishing a single-political-state while keeping women politically marginalized from decision-making posts. Regarding political marginalization of women, the situation resembles the previous regime.
The 2012 constitution, established in the era of Ba’ath regime, included two provisions related to women. The first one was Article 23 which stated that “the state shall provide women with all opportunities enabling them to participate effectively and fully in political, economic, social, and cultural life, and shall work to remove restrictions that prevent their development and participation in building society.” Article 33(3), meanwhile, affirmed that “citizens are equal in rights and duties, with no discrimination among them on the basis of sex, origin, language, religion, or belief.”