HADEEL Al-OMAR

Idlib- Women living in the city of Idlib, occupied by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed faction named Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) face oppression in all spheres of life. Especially divorced and widowed women face more societal pressures.

According to statistics, the number of women, who lost their husbands in the 12-year Syrian war, is more than 13,000. Although no work has yet been carried out about the number of divorced women in the city, the number of divorced women is very high.

29-year-old Rawa'a Arafat, who lives in Deir Hassan camp of Idlib, feels like she has been imprisoned since she lost her husband. “I am subjected to verbal abuse by my siblings, my mother and even my neighbors. Since I wanted to live with my children, I refused to remarry. However, I am subjected to cruel looks and words from people. This situation restricts my life; I have to be careful about what I wear and what I say.” Rawa'a Arafat was asked to leave her children and remarry by her family. “I refused so I face financial problems. My husband’s family provides economic support to my children and me. But I can barely afford food supplies with the money they give me.”

‘I am mentally exhausted’

Ramya Al-Rammah is a divorced woman in Idlib. Speaking about the societal pressures faced by her after her divorce, she said, “I struggled to get divorced from my abusive husband but the consequences of being a divorced woman are very severe. I was often subjected to violence by my ex-husband so I suffered from serious health problems and psychological problems. I lost my trust in men because of the mistreatment that I was subjected to by him. I am mentally exhausted due to societal pressures.”

‘Women need laws that protect them’

Reem Abdel Aziz, a family therapist in Idlib, says that divorced and widowed women are subjected to harassment, verbal and physical violence in society. “Many divorced and widowed women commit suicide because they are subjected to societal pressures in society. NGOs should carry out awareness-raising activities to change our society. Women also need laws that protect them. Divorced and widowed women want to make decisions on their own lives."