The Syrian Opposition Coalition’s (SOC) Women Office in the town of Azaz in rural Aleppo organized a workshop on the reality of the share of women in the labor market in the liberated areas. Participants in the workshop, which was organized under the supervision of SOC’s Vice-president and Coordinator of the Women’s Office, Ruba Habboush, included organizations and groupings concerned with women and their affairs as well as academic and economic experts.
The discussions toughed on the reality of women in the labor market and the jobs they occupy. Participants agreed that although revolutionary Syrian woman were able to prove their ability and competence in the labor market, their role was limited to a relatively narrow framework due to social considerations that sometimes play a hindering role.
Economist Abdul-Karim Al-Hammoud talked about the share of women in the global labor market, stressing that the conditions in the liberated areas imposed a special reality on women. He pointed to the need for steps to be taken to improve this reality and strengthen the presence of women in the labor market.
Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Al-Sham Private University, Marouf Al-Khalaf, pointed out that displacement and the dire conditions kept women away from decision-making places. He added that the fear of experience and lack of financial support reduced women’s participation in the commercial market.
Participants emphasized that the conditions in the liberated areas prompted women to set up small and medium businesses, many of which have achieved tangible success and created a free economic entity that may feed into the local economy. He stressed the need to seek to limit the impact of security conditions in order to boost the economy and establish the presence of women as the main actor.
Participants agreed on the need to support women entrepreneurs in the liberated areas through reaching out to the concerned authorities in order to facilitate transportation, hold training courses in economic empowerment for women, and create job opportunities for them. This will enhance women’s presence in the labor market and remove obstacles to their empowerment at a time when liberated areas need everyone’s efforts for economic growth and the advancement of society. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
