HADEEL Al-OMAR

Idlib- Due to the patriarchal mindset, women are the most vulnerable group to oppression and injustice in Idlib, occupied by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). In the city, women and girls are subjected to all forms of violence, forced marriage, especially at an early age, causes lifelong physical and psychological trauma for women.

‘The patriarchal system has turned me into my husband’s property’

Ramia Al-Sadid (27) is one of the women who had to drop out of school due to their family pressure and were married off at an early age. “When I was just 15, my father decided to marry me off by using the war, displacement and poverty as excuses. The patriarchal system turned me into my family’s property when I was child and now my husband’s property. As women, we do not have a say. In society, the roles of women are getting married, raising children and doing housework.”

‘We have been made dependent on men’

Women are rejected by society from birth, said Reem Al-Abd Al-Rahim, mother of three daughters in Idlib. “We were banned from doing many things when we were children. The 13-year war causes many women to be marginalized by society. Women face many social pressure. If you are a woman and do not have a son, you face injustice and humiliation. We have been made dependent on men. Men establish their dominance over women and there is no law protecting women. We are treated like just a household item.”

‘Women suffer from inequality’

“Even though we are in the 21st century, women are still being suppressed by traditions and customs,” said Salwa Al-Barshoum. “When women are introduced, they are introduced as a man's wife, a man's daughter, or a man's sister. In working life, employers say that women are less capable. Women suffer from inequality in all facets of life.”

Speaking about gender pay gap, Salwa Al-Barshoum said, “We work in the same conditions as men, but we are paid less than men for the same job. Gender roles are defined for children from a very young age; men are defined as strong while women are defined as weak. All of these are stereotypes created by patriarchy. Social awareness is needed so that women can have freedom, make decisions and have the right to self-determination. Human rights organizations should hold awareness-raising activities such as seminars and conferences on gender equality.”