GUFRAN AL-HABIS

Aleppo- Following the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, a new transitional government led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was formed in Syria. Women and girls celebrating the fall of the Assad regime found themselves facing a reality of fear and instability after the new government led by HTS was formed. The insecure environment that emerged after HTS came to power in Syria has restricted women’s freedoms in Aleppo.

‘I am afraid of being kidnapped’

Nour Al-Ahmad, a 20-year-old woman living in Aleppo, has never gone out alone since December 8. “We expected that our life would return to normal; however, the reality faced by us is completely different from what we expected. We always live in fear. I cannot go out alone because I am afraid of being kidnapped by armed groups. As women, we feel like we are in prison.”

Nour Al-Ahmad described the fear felt by her when going to school and the market or visiting a friend. “I ask one of my family members to accompany me when I go out. All women and girls in the city suffer from the same thing. For instance, my nieces do not go to school in fear of being kidnapped. We do not know how long we have to live like that.”

‘I feel desperate’

Nour Al-Ahmad also commented on the negative impact of insecurity on education. “I always wanted to go to school; however, I could not because of the war. I feel desperate when I see my nieces and other girls, who cannot go to school. Schools in Aleppo are not safe and families have been afraid to send their children because the city is unsafe, especially since they heard that a teacher and a schoolgirl had been kidnapped by armed groups. They also suffer from the high school expenses. We may lose a generation.”

‘We must build hope for the next generations’

Despite everything, Nour Al-Ahmad wants to be hopeful for the future. “I dream of a future where I can complete my education and students can return to school without fear. I also hope that our city will be safer and we will be able to have a life that we ​​had before the war.”

Call on women and girls

Nour Al-Ahmad concluded her speech by calling on women and girls of Aleppo to be “strong and patient despite all the difficult living conditions. We have the capacity to overcome all the challenges. We must keep making efforts to build a better and safer future. We must rebuild our city together.”