April 20, 2021
ALEPPO, Syria The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces includes only eight women out of its 86 members, i.e., only 9% of its members are women. At the international level, the coalition is represented by 11 men and two women.
According to the coalition’s website, female members are independent figures. This means women in the coalition do not represent any of the political blocs that make up the coalition, including the Damascus Declaration, the Syrian local councils and the Kurdish National Council.
Hoda al-Absi was the only woman out of seven ministers in the interim government affiliated with the coalition, serving as minister of education. On April 14, she announced her resignation from the government, leaving behind an all-men government.
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Born in Homs in 1979, Lina Barakat grew up in an open-minded family. She studied French literature at Al-Baath University in Homs, later obtaining a master’s degree and working as a teaching assistant. She has long had an interest in women’s issues.
Her interest emanated not only from her own experiences, but also from the experiences of other women around her.
“Our society has a condescending perception of women.even if women grow up within an understanding and liberal family,” Barakat tells SyriaUntold.
“At the family and personal levels, my parents were very understanding, and they never discriminated between us based on gender. The space was always open for us as girls in the family. But my interest in women’s issues stemmed from the incidents around me that happened to a neighbor, relative, friend or peer. I would see the extent of injustice against women and would always wonder why,” she says.