future now”

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