Today marks three months since the fall of Assad’s dictatorship and the cessation of the crimes he committed over the years, leaving Syria with a heavy legacy of human rights violations, including war crimes, and crimes against humanity. During this historic period, particularly after December 8, 2024, many Syrian women, including members of Space for Collaboration, played a vital role in supporting local communities throughout Syria in pursuit of sustainable peace and genuine transitional justice. These efforts aim to promote social peace, address the legacy of past violations, and ensure an inclusive and democratic transition that upholds rights, freedoms, and full equality for all citizens.
Despite the ongoing violations faced by Syrian women, our participation in the initial stage of the national dialogue process reflects our commitment to build a new Syria. We strongly support relying on dialogue to address local and national issues, forming an impartial and inclusive technocratic government, and pursuing a constitutional process that begins with a constitutional declaration that paves the way for a permanent constitution. This constitution must establish the separation and balance of powers, the rule of law, judicial independence, and democratic pluralistic governance, ultimately leading to free and fair elections. We demand that Syrian women be guaranteed no less than 30% representation, with the goal of achieving gender parity, at all stages and levels of the transitional process.
Achieving this desired future will not be possible, especially given the current security conditions and their impact on Syrian women, without the following:
- Ensuring stability, security, and social peace for all Syrians across the country.
- Comprehensive institutional reform, including security sector reform and disarmament.
- A comprehensive transitional justice process that ensures accountability, reveals the truth, compensates victims, and honors the memory of those who lost their lives.
- Criminalizing all human rights violations and conducting thorough investigations into any crimes committed.
- Combating all forms of hate speech including violence, killings, extremism, and incitement..
On International Women’s Day 2025, the Space for Collaboration members, in partnership with Syrian men and women who believe in justice and freedom, call for ensuring the protection of civilians across Syria and holding those responsible for killing Syrians legal accountability for their crimes. We call for collective efforts to build Syria as a democratic, pluralistic state that upholds human rights and guarantees women’s rights without discrimination or exclusion. The Syria we dream of can only be built on justice and equality.