Título: Women in Syria
Seção: History
Background: Women in Syria constitute 49.4% of Syria's population, and are active participants not only in everyday life, but also in the socio-political fields. Notable examples are president Assad's chief political and media adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, who also held office as Minister of Expatriates from 2002 and 2008, and Hadiya Khalaf Abbas, the officially elected speaker of the People's Council of Syria and the first woman to have held that position. Whatsoever, the Syrian Civil War put a new obstacle on Syrian women, forcing them to face increasing levels of violence, including war rape, and traditional abusive practices such as honor killings which occur in rural areas and areas held by extremist terrorists.

Conteúdo: In the 20th century a movement for women's rights developed in Syria, made up largely of upper-class, educated women. In 1919, Naziq al-Abid founded Noor al-Fayha (Light of Damascus), the city's first women's organization, alongside an affiliated publication of the same name. She was made an honorary general of the Syrian Army after fighting in the Battle of Maysaloun, and in 1922 she founded the Syrian Red Crescent. In 1928 Lebanese-Syrian feminist Nazira Zain al-Din, one of the first people to critically reinterpret the Quran from a feminist perspective, published a book condemning the practice of veiling or hijab, arguing that Islam requires women to be treated equally with men.  In 1963 the Ba'th Party took power in Syria, and pledged full equality between women and men as well as full workforce participation for women.  In 1967 Syrian women formed a quasi-governmental organization called the General Union of Syrian Women (GUSW), a coalition of women's welfare societies, educational associations, and voluntary councils intended to achieve equal opportunity for women in Syria.  Women in Syria have also been integral in acts of nonviolence in response to the Syrian dictator, Bashar Al-Assad. In 2011, conflict was emerging throughout Syria due to the long reign of the Assad family. Throughout the 40 year reign, outbreaks of both nonviolent and violent acts emerged. Assad reacted to these actions by increasing arrests and the killings of Syrian men and women. In response to A

user: What is the history of women in Syria?

assistant: 1919, Naziq al-Abid founded Noor al-Fayha (Light of Damascus), the city's first women's organization, alongside an affiliated publication of the same name.

user: Did anybody join the organisation later on?

assistant: In 1967 Syrian women formed a quasi-governmental organization called the General Union of Syrian Women (GUSW),

user: What challenge did the organisation face?

assistant: Throughout the 40 year reign, outbreaks of both nonviolent and violent acts emerged.

user: Did the organisation stop or get stopped?

assistant: Syrian officials and they knew in order to get the women and children to leave would need to fulfill their demands.

user: Which other notable names were mentioned int he history?

assistant: Bashar Al-Assad.

user: What was his role in the history?

assistant: In 2011, conflict was emerging throughout Syria due to the long reign of the Assad family.

user: Was the conflict stopped?

assistant: Assad reacted to these actions by increasing arrests and the killings of Syrian men and women.