When violence broke out in Syria in 2011, Ghasak al-Ali was a high school student. Now, at just 27, she is a bread keeper for 11 members of her family – something that would have been almost unbelievable before the war.
A decade of conflict pushes traditional values towards gender roles as death, injury, emigration and evacuation into the prestigious prisons of President Bashar al-Assad have affected tens of thousands of families .
Women are being transitioned to the provider role in a way that has not been seen before.
Al-Ali, who hails from Saraqeb in rural Idlib, the last section of the country’s rebels, had to find work when she was 23 after his father broke his back and was unable to continue. proceed with his work. As the eldest of her brothers, she had to take responsibility for the family, earning from humanitarian work and later, as she picked up her skills, from journalism.
“I know many women who have found themselves as bread winners for their families and this has changed their status dramatically. They are no longer housewives, but hardworking women, ”she said in a message from Idlib.
“The difficult circumstances we have been through have completely changed the way women and men feel about the need for women to work. “
Changing long-term and profound social norms has been a challenge [Courtesy of Care]Food shortages
According to a report by global poverty and hunger charity, only 4 percent of Syrian households were headed by women by 2011. That figure has now risen to 22 percent.
Real economic problems and a lack of adequate food for people are forcing even more women to look for work, with families struggling to cope with a 236 per cent rise in food prices in 2020. only, according to statistics from the World Food Program (WFP). The United Nations says 60 percent of the population struggles to find enough food every day.
Women are unfairly disadvantaged by food shortages, according to care, with less access to formal jobs and fewer work skills, and those who work also often have to provide caring responsibilities at the house. However, the benefits of empowering women “extend far beyond financial well-being”.
“Women with economic power are also more likely to be empowered in their families and communities, better able to participate in decision making. This reduces women ‘s risk of exploitation, isolation and vulnerability and leads to long – term changes in social norms and economic structures that benefit whole communities, ”the report said.
Long-term and profound change of social habits, however, can be hard work for those who drive the cost.
“There is a lot of pressure to earn a living – I was a student who took money from my father and now I am the person responsible for making my family’s lives safe. I have been plagued by difficulties in finding jobs, in moving between cities, and in the opinion of the society towards which I work, ”said al-Ali.
“I come across challenges, especially at checkpoints as the only woman on my team. I have to take my brother with me for permission to go through, and he has to show documents to prove that he is my brother. “
Continued increase in women entering the workforce could boost the economy and help protect their banks from an economic downturn [Courtesy of Care]
The number of people killed in 10 years of fighting in Syria is unknown, but the UK-based war monitored by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that it is between 387,000 and 593,000. Nearly seven million people have been displaced, 40 per cent of whom have fled their homes at least three times, and 5.6 million have emigrated, most of them Turkey and nearby Lebanon.
Those who have remained are now facing falling and falling money from the financial crisis in nearby Lebanon, as well as U.S. sanctions on Assad rule. On Tuesday, the Syrian pound hit its lowest black market rate against the dollar, according to the Beirut – based Daily Star newspaper, and is now worth 99 percent less than before the war.
Putting more pressure, there is now a risk that many families are losing their homes after a new legal change introduced by the government meant that those who did not take up military service before the age of 43 $ 8,000 to pay or lose their property.
Keep struggling
A continued increase in women entering the workforce could contribute to the economy and help protect their families from economic shocks and pressures. However, Ghalia al-Rahal, co-founder of the Mazaya Center for Women in Northwestern Syria, said that women still suffer from a lack of representation in decision-making positions, making it difficult to create meaningful change .
“There is no female body for women to communicate their views and opinions on women’s issues – such as harassment, violence and abuse – and issues of public concern that affect them. women, which limits the capacity for positive change, “she said.
“The smaller number of men means that women are now reliant on supporting their family and taking care of their needs, perhaps also caring for their family. an injured man, while society is also gaining authority over it and restricting its behavior. “
The Mazaya Center works to empower women, educate them about their health and equip them with work-related skills such as first aid, IT and literacy.
Al-Rahal said Syrian women who have not completed formal education are now undertaking manual professions, such as selling stalls, making sweets, weaving, sewing, and working in agricultural land or small factories. Those with education tend to work in civil society organizations or be business owners.
“In the last round of accommodation [amid the regime offensive to retake Idlib in 2019-2020], many women learned to drive and gained the ability to co – ordinate work both inside and outside the home, ”she said.
“Women were among the first to demand freedom at the beginning of the revolution. They were deliberately marginalized by unrepresented militant groups, but continued to fight through their civilian operations. “
In the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany, the First World War pushed women into agricultural and manufacturing jobs and became a special time for women’s equality. Could the Syrian war have a similar long-term legacy for its women?
“We have noticed a real change in the level of awareness about women’s rights,” said Noura Abdel Karim, project coordinator at Maram Foundation, which helps vulnerable people in Syria.
“Women who work in a cultural, social and ideological context face challenges in terms of mixing with men and how that affects family relationships. However, many men recognize the potential of women and value economic power, especially those who have been left disabled. “
For al-Ali, work has given her a maturity and an understanding of life that she may not have developed otherwise.
“I gained a lot of experience and skills. I turned from a shy girl to a working woman who has a lot of relationships and knows a lot of people, which took me out of the loneliness I used to live in, ”she said.
“I want my daughters to play an important role in the future of society.”
The smaller number of men means that women now have a responsibility to support their family [Courtesy of Care]