This post is also available in: العربية
The Syrian woman has been subjected to exclusion from various domains before and after the outbreak of the Syrian Revolution. The calls for freedom, dignity and the suppression of the dictatorial regime have led the country into a bloody war, during which the woman has paid a very miserable price.
She has faced the worst types of oppression and exploitation, ranging from displacement, arrest and the loss of her husband and children. Many women have been taken as hostages in exchange for their blacklisted husbands by the regime, and some died after being subjected to severe torture in notorious Assad’s jail. In addition, some were even threatened with rape in those prisons.
She has been prevented from participating in the political, social and economic domains run by the rebels, despite the fact that she has always been among those affected by the repercussions of the revolution.
Due to the violent and barbaric campaigns of destruction launched by the regime on different areas in Syria, she is giving birth to deformed babies because of being traumatized by those campaigns. Sometimes, she even loses her unborn babies. This is also caused by the inefficiency of many hospitals that are established in the country, including those located in the province of Deir Ezzor, of which two thirds are under the control of Daesh and the rest of it remains under the control of Assad’s forces.
After the capturing of the province, her situation has changed from bad to worse. She is being forced to marry foreign fighters affiliated with the organization and also prevented from moving freely between areas. She also must wear the Daesh-imposed full-covered veil. Furthermore, the Khansaa battalion is also monitoring her.
A 15-years-old girl named Haylana, who is now living in Turkey, says: “After my first and second husband died in a shelling by Daesh, we fled from Deir Ezzor to Turkey. Before that, I was forced to be a fiancé of a very old Tunisian Daesh fighters, which caused me to lose my conscious, pushing my father to look for ways in order to flee from the province.”
Women in the regime run territory of Deir Ezzor city are facing the crippling siege which has turned the civilian situation into a total nightmare. They are also subjected to sexual harassment in those areas. They are living in a state of fear and despair, pushing them to stay away from being part of the revolution.