HADEEL EL-OMER

Idlib- Women teachers have been fired in Idlib by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the de facto authority, also known as the “Salvation Government”. Holding protests, the women teachers demand their jobs back. NuJINHA spoke to several fired women teachers.

‘We demand our job back’

41-year-old Înas El-Şêx Elî is one of the fired teachers. She worked as an art teacher in Idlib for more than six years before being fired. “Although I got a low salary, I had to work to earn a living after the death of my husband. I have to take care of my five children. All related parties and international organizations should push the government to employ women teachers again. We will keep using our right to protest until we are hired again. Hundreds of teachers suffer financial difficulties now.”

She studied for years to be a teacher

 35-year-old Ghunwa El-Himêdî is also an art teacher in Idlib. Indicating that she studied for years to be a teacher, Ghunwa El-Himêdî said, “I demand my job back. In the middle of the school year, many teachers have been fired by an unofficial decision. All teachers must be hired again.”

 31-year-old Beraa El-Berhom is one of the women teachers, who were fired by the Salvation Government in Idlib. “This decision is a disaster for us. I am a music teacher and I studied for years to be a music teacher. Although I am a professional teacher, I was fired.”

 ‘This decision is a crackdown on women teachers’

 45-year-old Ramiya El-Mustafa is a school principal in Idlib. Reacting to the decision, she said, “This decision is a crackdown on women teachers. The ‘Salvation Government’ repeatedly receives budgets for education but it does not use these budgets for education. I feel sad because these teachers kept working under difficult conditions despite clashes and conflicts.”