Al-Hasakah — Participants in a lecture called for strengthening constitutional guarantees for women's rights and expanding their participation in decision-making, affirming the necessity of providing a legal and institutional environment that ensures equality and economically empowers women to guarantee their participation in building a new Syria.

The Syrian Women's Council organized a lecture today, Wednesday, August 19, titled "Women's Rights in the Constitution of the Modern State," attended by representatives of women's organizations, activists, as well as members of civil institutions and political parties.

Rojin Abdel Baki, a member of the Legal Committee of the Syrian Women's Council, spoke about women's rights, the principle of equality, and women's role in building a modern state. She affirmed that women's rights are not a privilege for a specific group but form an essential part of human rights.

Rojin Abdel Baki believes that the modern state should be based on the rule of law, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, equality before the law, and ensuring the political participation of all citizens. "Merely including the phrase 'equality between women and men' in the constitution is not enough. Achieving equality in daily life requires mechanisms and legal guarantees that prevent discrimination against women and remove the obstacles they face."

She noted that women's political participation should not be limited to voting alone, but should include their involvement in decision-making mechanisms and their active role in decision-making processes. "Women should not be excluded from official duties and public service because of their gender; rather, they should have equal opportunities in all political and administrative fields." She affirmed that women's economic independence is one of the fundamental elements of empowerment. "Women deprived of economic resources are more vulnerable to exploitation and violence."

Regarding education, Rojin Abdel Baki pointed out that it is not just a social right but also "an essential tool for women to learn about their rights and actively participate in social, political, and economic life."

Protecting Women from Violence

Protecting women from violence was one of the main themes of the lecture. Discussions covered various forms of violations, from domestic, physical, psychological, and sexual violence, to harassment, forced marriage, human trafficking, and economic exploitation.

Participants in the lecture affirmed that the state's responsibility does not end with punishing perpetrators after violence occurs, but extends to establishing effective mechanisms for prevention, protecting victims, investigating incidents, holding those responsible accountable, in addition to providing psychological and social support to ensure women's recovery and empowerment.

At the conclusion of the lecture, participants exchanged their assessments, affirming that women's rights must be a fundamental element in the constitution for building a new Syria, and providing constitutional, legal, and practical guarantees to ensure the implementation of these rights. They noted that women's participation in the processes of drafting the new constitution and establishing state institutions is also one of the essential conditions for a democratic society and a state built on the basis of equality.