Thousands of Women Take to Syrian Streets to Protest Islamist Rules, Fearing Loss of Hard-Won Rights
In the northern regions of Syria, thousands of women have converged on city streets, raising their voices in unison to demand that the ruling transitional government uphold and safeguard their rights. These demonstrations, organized in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s ouster and the ascension of Islamist groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have been prompted by fears that the newly established authorities may roll back the rights and freedoms that women have gained over the years.
"Women must not be excluded from rights in this system," asserted a female activist at the protest, speaking to Reuters. The demonstration in Qamishli, a predominantly Kurdish city, saw participants brandishing green flags of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), an affiliate of the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, HTS currently controls significant areas in northern Syria following its displacement of the Assad regime in early December. The group’s spokesman previously claimed that women are unfit for certain public offices due to their "biological and physiological nature." However, in an interview with the BBC, Sharaa expressed his support for women’s university education, though he refrained from delving into the specifics of women’s rights.
The protesters also called upon HTS to condemn Turkey‘s military operations in northern Syria. Many demonstrators carried flags of the YPJ and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which have been at the forefront of the fight against the Islamic State (IS) and continue to guard detention camps housing IS fighters.
Turkey views the SDF, particularly its Kurdish YPG component, as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish autonomy-seeking group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union, and the United States. As a result, the Turkish military and Turkey-backed militias have launched a series of attacks on SDF-held cities and military targets in northern Syria in recent weeks.
On Monday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister demanded that the HTS-led rebels dismantle Kurdish militias in Syria during a joint press conference with Sharaa. As the situation unfolds, Syrian women remain resolute in their determination to safeguard their hard-won rights amidst the shifting geopolitical landscape.
