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Contents Badael Foundation 2 The authors 2 Foreword: An exclusive insight into Syrian women’s activism 3 Executive summary: Empowerment for peace 4 Introduction: Peacebuilding in the midst of violence 6 Chapter One: Historical development of women’s activism in Syria 8 Chapter Two: General characteristics of women’s groups 10 Chapter Three: Perspectives and priorities 14 Chapter Four: Collective and individual efforts in peacebuilding 20 Chapter Five: Challenges and resources 31 Conclusions and recommendations: Crucial actors for change 36 List of acronyms 39 References and further reading 39 The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung 39 ” PEACEBUILDING DEFINES OUR FUTURE NOW” A STUDY OF WOMEN’S PEACE ACTIVISM IN SYRIA Authors: Razan Ghazzawi, Afra Mohammad, Oula Ramadan Badael Research Assistants: Ayham Al Hussein and Raheb Alwany Field research: Badael team Project Manager at The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation: Saba Nowzari Editor: Malin Ekerstedt, The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation Layout: Ida Svedlund, The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation Publisher: Badael Foundation Funded by: The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation Front page: Syrian women taking part in an anti-regime protest in Aleppo. Photo: TT/AFP/Dimitar Dilkoff ©Badael Foundation, 2015 Istanbul, Turkey All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be printed, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without prior written permission from Badael Foundation. ISBN 1 978-91-982827-0-2 Printed by: Exellent Print & Design BADAEL FOUNDATION ” Badael means alternatives” in Arabic. The Badael Foundation is a Syrian non-governmenal organization (NGO) committed to strengthening civil society groups and NGOs in Syria. The foundation works with groups that are active or want to become active in the promotion and/or implementation of activities to reduce violence, break its cycle, respond to the conflict, and prepare a <strong>future</strong> pluralistic Syria. More info: http://badael.org/en/homepage/ THE AUTHORS Razan Ghazzawi is a freelance researcher, currently studying her second Master in Gender, Sexuality and Body at the University of Leeds. She has been a blogger and journalist since 2006 and a grassroots activist during the Syrian uprising before leaving Syria in December 2013. Afra Mohammad has an MA in International Relations. During the last three years, she has been working closely with Syrian civil society and women’s organizations. Oula Ramadan is the founder and Executive Director of Badael Foundation. Her work focuses on human rights, conflict transformation and peacebuilding in Syria as well as on sexual and gender-based violence among refugees from the Middle East and North Africa region.
Foreword An exclusive insight into Syrian women’s activism The alarming reports of human rights violations in Syria have not slipped past anyone. The vulnerability of Syrian women in particular has been constantly portrayed in the media and by various actors. These reports have once again put violence against women, especially sexual violence in times of war, on the agenda of the United Nations (and the international community), where resolutions have condemned such acts and protection mechanisms have been called for. However, these actions have led to a narrowed perception of the role of Syrian women in peacebuilding efforts. Treating Syrian women’s rights as solely a question of protection has reduced the women to being passive victims of the war. Protection is a prerequisite for the security of Syrian women, but it must go hand in hand with the recognition of their role as agents for change and sustainable peace. One of the greatest challenges of our time is to achieve sustainable peace and democracy in conflict-affected countries. Many theories exist about what is needed to achieve peace, stability and security, but one clear requirement is the equal participation of both men and women in conflict resolution. Violent conflict tends to be more predominant in countries with a low representation of women in decision-making positions and where violence against women is more prevalent 1 , so to recognize and utilize the expertise of women in conflict areas is a peacebuilding activity in itself. This has been the experience of The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, which was founded as a response to the atrocities committed against women during the war in the Balkans. During its 20 years of existence it has consistently worked not only to strengthen the protection of women, but also to increase their participation as actors of change. active roles in peacebuilding needs to be highlighted often to safeguard women’s participation in transitional processes. This report, conducted by the Badael Foundation, with the support of The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation and co-funded by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, is a testimony of how women carry out crucial peace work in the midst of violence and oppression. Efforts that often go unrecognized by the outside world. The Badael Foundation is a Syrian non-governmental organization committed to strengthening civil society groups in Syria that are, or want to become, active in promoting peacebuilding measures. The foundation not only capacitates Syrian civil society organizations, but also produces evidence-based research about, and for, its work for sustainable peace. Given the current security situation in Syria, the data for this study would have been impossible to obtain without the Badael research team’s access to a large range of women’s groups in the country. The data collection was carried out between the second half of 2014 and the summer of 2015 – a time when security conditions in some areas worsened, putting the researchers at constant risk. Thanks to the Badael Foundation’s unique access, this report can provide exclusive insight into the activism of Syrian women, in general, and peacebuilding, in particular. It seeks to understand women’s activism in Syria, in terms of countering violence and promoting peacebuilding, and to highlight the role the Syrian women activists have been playing in peacebuilding. It also identifies opportunities for the international community and Syrian actors to build upon this activism and assist in finding a peaceful political solution. 20 years after the Balkan war the same challenges appear in other conflict-affected regions when it comes to the equal inclusion of women in peacebuilding efforts. Therefore, the message of the importance of women’s Oula Ramadan, Director Badael Foundation Lena Ag, Secretary General The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation 1. Equal Power – Lasting Peace, Kvinna till Kvinna, 2012 3
Page 1: ” Peacebuilding defines our futur
Page 5 and 6: elieved peacebuilding, amidst the o
Page 7 and 8: TURKEY Al-Hasaka Aleppo Raqqa Idleb
Page 9 and 10: Women demonstrating in Amouda in no
Page 11 and 12: Figure 2: Chronology of establishme
Page 13 and 14: Number of groups 18 18 15 17 Figure
Page 15 and 16: increased tensions between various
Page 17 and 18: Peacebuilding priorities When stati
Page 19 and 20: needed. Here, the role of civil soc
Page 21 and 22: Children attending a makeshift scho
Page 23 and 24: TURKEY NOT ON THE MAP 19 19 mediati
Page 25 and 26: Number of groups 18 Figure 7: Suppo
Page 27 and 28: A Syrian woman in the Zabadani neig
Page 29 and 30: Because the women’s group normall
Page 31 and 32: Chapter Five Red Crescent volunteer
Page 33 and 34: Women running for shelter after a b
Page 35 and 36: Support from national political pow
Page 37 and 38: organizations need to step up their
Page 39 and 40: List of acronyms CSOs Civil Society

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