How Syrian women are fighting a war – and patriarchy

‘Women of the revolution’ share their experiences about the decade-long transformation of their country.

Last month marked 10 years since the beginning of the Syrian uprising when peaceful protesters, galvanised by the Arab Spring, went out on to the streets demanding freedom from an authoritarian regime and were met with bullets. President Bashar al-Assad vowed to crush dissent. In doing so, he set in motion a proxy war, creating what the UN’s human rights chief has called the “worst man-made disaster the world has seen since World War II”. Countless studies have shown that women and girls are disproportionately affected by war – both during and after – as existing inequalities are amplified and there is heightened vulnerability to sexual violence and exploitation.