Author: admin

Face to face with Ms. Alessandra Dentice Dep. Representative UNICEF Syria

#المساواةلغدافضل 2019 #BalanceforBetter campaign runs all year long. It doesn’t end on #IWD. Did you know @UNinSyria work around the year for #genderbalance and #SDGs goals? Put your hands out and STRIKE THE #BalanceforBetter POSE and do what you can, to truly make a positive difference for women in #Syria. Stay tuned for @UNinSyria episodes on http://iwd2019.un.org.sy/

International Women’s Day 2019: Women surviving in emergency settings

Millions of women in the Eastern Mediterranean Region continue to be affected by years of war, displacement, and poverty. The conditions these women face everyday are extremely harsh. From losing their husbands and children, to fleeing their homes and struggling to find safe shelter, their journeys are filled with severe hardship. As conflict continues unabated, women remain remarkably resilient and strong. On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, we show a few examples of these brave women surviving in emergency contexts.

Fifty-year-old Wadha, a widow and mother of 8 children, has travelled hundreds of kilometres from Al-Hasakeh governorate in north-east Syria to Damascus in search of health care that is not available in her home town. She is suffering from severe pain in her chest, back and kidneys. Since the death of her husband, she has been raising her children and managing the family’s small farm on her own. “Having to be both mother and father is never easy, and harvesting the crops on my own is exhausting. And of course the war has made everything worse,” says Wadha. “But I have to go on, for the sake of my children. Many of the women in my village have lost sons and husbands, but we carry on. We can’t give up.”
Doctor Saba, an obstetrician and gynecologist, works with Heevie nongovernmental organization, one of WHO’s implementing partners in Dahuk governorate. She is very passionate about women’s health issues. “Because I fled from my home in Mosul and saw first-hand the havoc that war causes, I am reminded that kindness and empathy are fundamental characteristics that an obstetrician and gynecologist should possess.”
Doctor Saba works with a team of male health professionals to deliver healthcare to the Yazidi community in Zumar sub-district, Talafar District. More often than not, women prefer to consult with her because she is female. “The female patients feel comfortable with me. I examine, treat and counsel every patient that comes to me. I know what happened during the war and how this has left many people traumatized.”

IWD 2019: the resilience of women in Syria

Meet Samar. The 38-year-old woman is caring for her family and extended family of 10. 

With a helping hand from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and our partner NGO Syrian Arab Red Crescent – الهلال الأحمر العربي السوري , Samar started her own business and is now able to provide for her family. 

Women in #Syria have suffered for 8 long years. Today, on #InternationalWomensDay, we honor the resilient women of Syria.

According to research:

  • 740 million women currently make their living in the informal economy with limited access to social protection, public services and infrastructure that could increase their productivity and income security.
  • Women do 2.6 times more unpaid care and domestic work than men, with only 41 per cent of the world’s mothers with newborns receiving maternity benefits.
  • One in three women are likely to face violence in their lifetimes, yet public services, urban planning and transport systems are rarely planned with women’s safety and mobility in mind.