Women’s Role in Ending War, Making Peace Highlighted

DAMASCUS- “Women’s Role in Ending the War and Attaining Peace” was the title under which the Conference “Syrian Women..Ladies of Peace” was opened in Damascus Saturday.

 Several government parties, ministries as well as civil society associations took part in the event which tackled laws relating to protecting women against violence during crises times and empowering them to be effective in incubating women initiatives to peace making.

During the opening ceremony, Minister of Social Affairs Kinda al-Shammat stressed the Syrian government’s keenness to maintain women’s rights and enhance their important role in building a healthy society.

Dr. Shammat said the conference aimed at setting up a mechanism to implement women protection and equality programs and to activate women’s role in ending the war and in the country’s political life, national reconciliation and reconstruction process.

She urged the government and civil society parties to continuously follow up women issues and guarantee the protection of women rights particularly under the current critical circumstances in Syria.

For her part, Insaf Ahmad, Chairwoman of the Syrian Family Affairs Commission, said that the Syrian women have been exposed to kidnapping and trafficking at refugee camps abroad under a deadly silence by international organizations on such crimes. She urged establishing special funds to help women, with heavy family burdens, face the repercussions of the crisis politically and socially.

Judge Amneh al-Shammat, for her part, said that some laws will be issued within the framework of protecting women’s rights, such as granting citizenship and other issues relating to the Penalties Law.

Hadeel al-Asamr, from the Syrian Family Affairs Commission, called for reactivating the Security Council’s resolution No. 1325 which provided for protecting women, engaging them in peace processes and enhancing their representation in all stages of decision making.

The conference was attended by Minister of Environment Affairs Nazeera Sarkis, several MPs and representatives of government and civil society associations as well as national parties.

H. Mustafa