On 25th Sep. 2020, Multiple Syrian Non-Governmental Organizations, through their membership in the Syrian Women Network, coordinated and made a submission to the United Nations Special Procedures on the discrimination and violence faced by Syrian women in Syria. The submission was made by Syrian Women’s Network and its affiliated organizations Urnammu, Kurdish Organization for the Defense of Human Rights, Kurdish Committee for Human Rights, Syrian Democracies Organization, Alkawakibi Organization for Human Rights,

The submitting organizations Highlighted the legal discrimination against women in Syrian national laws, and how the failure of the Government of Syria to take positive steps and enact laws that provide adequate protection to women, have created a culture of impunity that normalizes discrimination and violence against women.

Furthermore, the armed conflict in Syria has had devastating effects on Syrian women and their social and economic status. Syrian women are targeted and subjected to arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, sexual and gender-based violence and other forms of human rights violations by the Government of Syria. The detention of Syrian women and/or their male relatives has many social and economic effects that Syrian women are struggling to overcome.

The submission was made to the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences, Dr. Dubravka Simonovic and The Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls. The submitting organizations called on the Special Procedures to pay particular attention to the situation of Syrian women and demanded that the Government of Syria amend its discriminatory laws, end its discriminatory practices, and protect Syrian women, in accordance with its international obligations.

Syrian Women’s Network

Urnammo Organization

Kurdish Organization for the Defense of Human Rights

Kurdish Committee For Human Rights

Syrian Democracies Organization

ALkawakibi Organization For Human Rights