Women’s Day celebrated in Homs

Women’s role in society, economic empowerment and social protection, are among the most important themes that were highlighted in the symposium held by the Business Women’s Committee in the Homs Chamber of Commerce on International Women’s Day

To highlight the women’s  important role in the development of society, Afaf Al – Hassan, head of the Business Women’s Committee, said, “Women’s ability to adapt to the evolving social, economic, and political conditions has made her an essential partner in the management and development of society. Raising children and doing housework does not eliminate the role of women in building their society. We must help them become more active by improving their status and promoting their educational and cultural level, ensuring their health and protecting them from all forms of violence, as well as increasing their participation in all areas and positions. “

Al – Hassan went on to say, “The economic empowerment of women and the consequent creation of job opportunities for women that guarantees them financial independence and enhances their self-confidence is a priority for us, especially at this current stage.

Since 2015, we have been carrying out various activities, including training courses, handicraft exhibitions, seminars, and cultural weeks, in which we address all the issues of concern to women in various social, cultural, medical, and psychological activities, in addition to supporting small projects that enable them economically. We recently set up the “Fanan project” with the United Nations, where 84 poor women  were selected, according to certain criteria and they were funded with the necessary tools that help them accomplish their work. The results were more than remarkable. We conducted field tours on many projects and saw the evolution of the women’s life after they launched their projects.

Dr. Khetam Jouhar, the head of psychological support at the Syrian Volunteer Club said, “It is through my experience of volunteering and my contact with the wives of the wounded, I am sure that there are women who have proven that they alone can take responsibility for an entire community. Some of them have lost their husbands, leaving them with great responsibilities for raising children and ensuring their livelihoods.

There are also wives whose husbands have been wounded in the war. They found themselves experiencing the added task of caring for and providing psychological support to them. All of this could have psychological, social, and financial consequences for women, so all governmental and civil bodies must join forces to support women by all means.”

Asmahan Al-Mulheim, board member of the Al-Rabee’ Association for Autistic Children, says, “Our association was founded by four women and was completed by the volunteering of a large number of them. Women are the affectionate mothers who represent all the noble values that accept, respect, and embrace the others in all their situations and that is what all people, especially autistic children, need.

Our association is staffed by patient, persistent, and hard-working teachers who are able to train these children and move on with them gradually to modify their behavior, improve their social lives and train them to engage with others in society.”

Seba Wassouf, representative of the Children’s Section at the Cultural Centre spoke about the various activities carried out by the Centre to Support and empower women. She referred to the Centre’s distinguished exhibitions that the center held for women prisoners, which helped to secure a source of income for them for their livelihood. In addition, several training courses were held for women in the Shelter centers, which played a significant role in enhancing women’s confidence in their ability to work and assume their full responsibilities.

The writer Abbas Suleiman Ali says, “In the intellectual legacy, a woman is said to be a minor rib. This is a lie. The good woman is a strong shield that protects her family, and a mother who teaches love and noble values. She should not be underestimated, as no purely free element can stand by its own; each has a job that he was created for. It is very important for society to be free from this legacy that has demonized, marginalized and degraded women because it wants a broken, fragile, and deconstructed society. We must not forget that the greatest man was raised by a woman.”

Dr. Loda Ali teaches informatics and programming at Al-Baath University  confirmed that enhancing women’s self-confidence and belief in their abilities, in addition to empowering them financially and morally, enables them to raise a strong, educated generation loyal to their country and striving to build a better future.

 “We are proud of the great women, girls, and mothers of Syria who have remained steadfast during the war and have been able to overcome the consequences of that unjust war. The patience and steadfastness of the women of Syria and the mothers of the martyrs is what reunited us, supported our economy, and brought us back to our homes and neighborhoods after we were deserted by our enemies,” Dr. Ali concluded.

With regard to the role of the law in protecting women’s rights, lawyer Marwan Makhoul confirmed that many laws had been enacted to protect women’s rights, and that any kind of attack against women  requires a deterrent punishment, explaining that the majority of women do not have sufficient knowledge of those laws which makes them unaware of their rights.

Participants talked about the injustice that some women are subjected to because of some laws that need to be re-studied and developed in proportion to current circumstances, such as the right of guardianship and alimony, as they deal with very important details that are related to the lives of women and children.

A number of successful experiences of women who set up their small businesses that were a source of income for them and their families were reviewed during the symposium.

Interviewed by:  Amal Farhat