Syrian Women and their Participation in the Peace Process

Abstract

Syrian women have been mostly depicted as mere helpless victims since the beginning of the Syrian uprising and subsequent conflict in 2011. Their representation in the media as vulnerable refugee women, usually featured in a refugee camp, tears out their agency, ownership and influence and mutates them into passive ‘voices’ rather than active and influential agents. Despite their continuous efforts and direct involvement in civil, social, economic, and cultural domains, their political participation2 in the negotiations and peace processes is rarely recognized or supported in a substantial way. This article draws on existing scholarly works to women’s representation and inclusion in peace processes as a global challenge.

This article aims at addressing the representation of the Syrian women in the media, the different barriers to their political participation and the politics of representation. The article uses contemporary empirical evidence to explore this subject, delving deeper into two experiences, the Women’s Advisory Board (WAB) to the UN Special Envoy and Women’s Advisory Committee (WAC) of the High Negotiations Committee and the international support to Syrian women in the negotiations and peace process. Further, the article aims at instigating further in-depth discussions and work on this crucial, salient and understudied topic.