Controversial Statements by Syrian Women’s Affairs Head Spark Outrage
The statements made by Aisha Al-Dibs, head of the Women’s Affairs Office in the new Syrian administration, regarding women’s roles have sparked widespread debate and criticism on social media in Syria this Sunday.
During an interview this week with Turkey’s TRT Arabic television, Al-Dibs was asked about the future space for women’s organizations in Syria. She responded that the work of these organizations should “support the model we are building… I will not open the field to those who disagree with my view.”
Al-Dibs also called for Syrian women abroad to return and for those within the country to “gather around one table to study the vision and model together.” She questioned adopting a secular or civil model, stating, “I will create a model specific to Syrian society… We will make a unique model that suits our reality… Syrian women will shape this model.”
She emphasized that all Syrian women, regardless of sect—Sunni, Druze, or Christian—are “equal,” encouraging those with qualifications and experience to join government institutions, noting “there is a great vacancy now.” However, she also urged women not to “overlook their natural priorities set by God, their educational role in their families.”
“The Government is in a Dilemma and Will Retract Those Statements”
In response, Lama Atassi, head of the “Bayt Syria” organization, considered Al-Dibs’ statements to reflect her personal views. In a phone interview with Monte Carlo, Atassi said, “It seems the government is in a dilemma because of her statements, and they will surely apologize as the Syrian people have reacted strongly.”
She added, “She (Aisha Al-Dibs) is not authorized to make such statements, and they contradict those of the Foreign Minister and (Ahmed) Al-Sharaa. What she did was a grave mistake that will be retracted.”
On X (formerly Twitter), the new Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad Al-Shaabani, posted on Sunday,
“We will work to stand by women’s issues and fully support their rights.”
He further stated, “We believe in the active role of Syrian women in society and trust in their
capabilities and skills; women are an extension of generations of giving.”
Rejecting Comments
These statements have elicited criticism across social media. Batraa Abu Al-Jadaiel wrote on
Facebook, “Keep your narrow-minded view at home, don’t impose it on us to stay confined in our
houses.”
She added, “No to the Women’s Affairs Office; we are not sheep needing care.”
Actress Aliya Said, in a video posted on X, questioned, “Who gave you the right to dictate what we
are allowed or not allowed to do? We’ve been arrested, exiled, and our homes destroyed for
expressing opinions, not for you to decide what we can or cannot do in the end.”
