Focus
Speaking Out: Women's Voices from Syria
Years active: 2015-2018
Women are among the hardest-hit by the war in Syria, yet many play vital roles in the struggle for human rights, gender equality, reconciliation and social justice.
IWPR’s Speaking Out project provides a space for female writers to share their experiences of daily life both in Syria or as refugees abroad. It is a platform where they can publish their views at a time when they struggle to be heard amid ongoing atrocities, mass displacement, collapsing public services, and personal tragedies.
The blog posts are written and published in Arabic and also translated into English for publication here and on IWPR’s Syria Stories website.
Syria: Face Veils De Rigueur in Islamic State Zone
Female travellers issued with "niqab" veils to avoid trouble at militant checkpoints.
Syria: The Boy Who Died Feeding His Cat
"Some people say we have grown accustomed to death, but that is not true."
Syria: My Son's Unknown Fate
A mother searches for her son, who she believes is in a government prison.
Shattered Windows, Selfish Souls in Syria
Cold welcome in a town under siege.
In a Syrian War Zone, Hope Fades as Phone Line Dies
Rescuing relatives as a city changes hands.
Syria: Tortured, Missing and Martyred
Three sons, three different fates.
Syria: My Mother, the Accidental Activist
Political awareness prompted by daughter's repeated arrest.
Summoned to Vote for an Unwanted Leader in Syria
"I couldn’t make myself go and vote. How could I?"
Syria: My Brother's Children
“Where is my father? Why did he leave us?”