‘Women were out in the rubble, they were saving lives. You can’t do that and not be seen as a hero.’ (Picture: Getty Images/Myles Goode)
Raeifa Samie was a trailblazer for women’s rights in Syria.
She had been a member of a committee advising peace talks on women’s inclusion and was working on the country’s new constitution.
But her work was brought to an abrupt end in the early hours of February 6, when a devastating 7.7 earthquake struck southeast Turkey, close to the border with northwest Syria.
Raeifa, who died in the Turkish city of Hatay, was one of thousands who lost their lives in the tragedy.
A new report, titled Recognising Resilience – Women’s Leadership in Northwest Syria’s Earthquake Response and Beyond, is dedicated to Raeifa and the countless others who lost their lives during the earthquake.
It was written by Action for Humanity’s Nicola Banks and Marc Ghazali and produced alongside ActionAid Arab Region.
The pair spoke first-hand with Syrian women and explored how their role in the has been perceived before, during and after the earthquake.
Nicola told Metro.co.uk: ‘Raifa was an incredible woman and a real leader and advocate of women leadership. Her death not only was a real loss but a real driver for a lot of other women before, during and after the earthquake.
A woman works alongside an Action for Humanity aid worker in the northwest of the country (Picture: White Helmets)
Women in Syria banded together in the wake of the disaster to create change (Picture: Diana – a participant in the report)
‘Women we interviewed found it very important to continue her work and legacy.
‘The narrative of women in Syria is typically that they aren’t actors in their own lives, society and political processes – but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
‘The leadership that emerged following the earthquake was created by the women themselves.
‘We spoke to one woman, Dalal, who described how women were out in the rubble, they were out saving lives and the community saw that. You can’t do that and not be seen as a hero.’
Nicola explains women had been carrying out these roles throughout much of the Syrian conflict, but their actions hadn’t been as visible.
‘The earthquake response has changed that’, she explained.
Photos, many taken by aid organisations such as White Helmets, demonstrated the reaction of communities on a global stage.
Images and news reports showed women working alongside men, taking on critical responsibilities and mobilising resources.
A woman reaches into the rubble to discover a children’s toy (Picture: Syria Civil Defence)
Resilience demonstrated following the earthquake helped change perceptions – but barriers remain (Picture: Action For Humanity)
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, several women even carried their peers to safety.
Tremors began at 4am as people slept, meaning that some husbands were forced to desperately plead with women to rescue their wives amidst the rubble, as they were concerned about their modesty.
Many of the women who worked together on the earthquake response have kept in touch, the researchers found, and have created lasting friendships which have the capacity can ‘grow into something bigger’.
Some of those Syrian women shared their stories with Nicola and Marc as part of the report.
Diana told them: ‘I faced pressure from men when during the response in camps, one of them screamed at me, “what are you doing here?!” and he was going to attack me.
‘By the end he was thanking me and now men in camps invite me to sit with them and drink coffee.’
Dalal explained about the wider shift the reaction of women in Syria created in society.
She said: ‘Women’s participation in rescue missions is not a usual scene for local communities.
Increased visibility, such as through this television appearance by Diana, helped inspire others
The barriers facing Syrian women – as ranked by those the researchers spoke to ahead of the report (Picture: Action for Humanity)
‘Our women volunteers have done this work before when buildings were bombed, but before fewer women would be seen. People wouldn’t be on the ground to witness.
‘But after the earthquake, everyone saw and the number of women was also bigger.
‘Women proved themselves to be strong and capable of having the same responsibilities as men. If they rescued people from under rubble, they can do anything. They are now seen as heroes.’
The disaster struck just weeks before Syrians marked 12 full years since protests broke out in their homeland against President Bashar al-Assad, part of the broader Arab Spring rebellions that toppled a string of autocratic leaders.
Early into the Syrian conflict, men dominated peace talks.
Campaigners have been fighting for years to change that, and the response of women took to February’s earthquake could be a key piece of evidence in fuelling change.
Based on a survey conducted among 76 women in Northwest Syria, 89.5% of respondents indicated that women have become more actively engaged and empowered in supporting the community following the earthquake.
Of those respondents, 86.8% said they personally felt more engaged and empowered in supporting the community during the earthquake response.
A Syrian girl stands amidst the debris from a collapsed building on February 7, 2023, in Jindayris (Picture: Bakr Alkasem/AFP)
A Syrian woman, displaced as a result of the earthquake, rests under a tree on the outskirts of the town (Photo by BAKR ALKASEM/AFP)
But, as the Recognising Resilience report explores, a number of barriers still remain.
Gender based violence (GBV) is still prevalent in Syria, economic injustice and the loss of inspirational leaders are all factors preventing change.
One Syrian woman told the researchers: ‘GBV has increased after the earthquake. After their homes were destroyed, women now live in unsuitable conditions in closer proximity to other Internally Displaced People (IDPs).
‘People are facing greater hardship and more pressure, and we are seeing negative coping mechanisms.
‘In my experience, emotional violence is the most prevalent type of GBV, as well as exploitation, and sexual-based violence, including of minors. The problem is victims don’t speak out.
‘There’s a lot of taboo around it.’
Prior to the earthquake, it was estimated that approximately 75% of young girls residing in camp environments within Syria refrained from attending school due to their fear of experiencing sexual violence.
As Turkey and Syria continue to rebuild from the earthquake – the total area damaged was roughly the size of Germany – some women have now returned to ‘normal’ life.
But they feel a sense of solidarity, and felt powerful during their time at the frontline of the earthquake response.
Fatema told the researchers: ‘Before the earthquake there was no knowledge of women leaders, they were only known at a local level.
‘Now there is knowledge that women are active and have skills…we discovered active women that we never knew existed, for example we always knew there’s a civil defence centre but we never knew it included women until we saw them in response.
‘They would usually only be giving first aid in the centre, or women that live far and we didn’t know of them. Now active women know each other more because of the catastrophe.’
In the report, there are several key suggestions on how best to harness the progress made – but also protect the future of women in Syria.
Campaigners are working to ensure women are part of future decision-making for Syria (Picture: Action for Humanity)
While many leaders were tragically lost in the earthquake – others were inspired to continue their legacy (Picture: Action for Humanity)
These include ensuring women at every level in society are included in decision-making processes, supporting Syrian-led women’s organisations and investing in programs that promote a comprehensive approach to gender equality.
Nicola adds that, in the wider world, the international community could work on longer term recovery in Syria.
The report concludes: ‘When women are included in decision-making, they play a transformative role in building sustainable peace.
‘Their participation fosters a more holistic understanding of conflicts and their consequences, leading to the development of inclusive policies and initiatives that address the needs of all members of society.
‘By recognising and harnessing the significant role of women’s leadership, a more inclusive, just and resilient future can be paved in Northwest Syria.’
Recognising Resilience – Women’s Leadership in Northwest Syria’s Earthquake Response and Beyond – was worked on by Action For Humanity, the parent charity of Syria Relief, and ActionAid Arab Region.
You can read it, in full, here.
The report was launched ahead of the Syria Brussels Conference VII, which is held to ensure continued support to Syrian people.
It does so by mobilising the international community in support of a ‘comprehensive and credible’ political solution to the conflict, in line with UN Security Council resolution 2254.
A round-table event taking place this Tuesday will also discuss the findings of the Recognising Resilience report. You can register to attend by clicking here.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
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‘Women proved themselves to be strong and capable of having the same responsibilities as men. If they rescued people from under rubble, they can do anything. They are now seen as heroes.’