On March 26, 2021, the Swedish Foreign Ministry, the Folke Bernadotte Academy, and the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa, together with the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, organized an online panel discussion on “Women Building the Future of Syria – A Conversation About Realising a Feminist Peace.” Women activists from and in Syria participated and provided their perspectives on the way forward.
The event took place in the margins of the Brussels V Conference on Supporting Syria and represented a continuation of Swedish efforts to support the women, peace, and security agenda in Syria. It was hosted by Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde and moderated by Ambassador Charlotta Sparre, Director of the Dialogue Institute and a member of the Swedish Women’s Mediation Network.
Foreign Minister Linde emphasized that the effective participation of Syrian women, their leadership, and their agency must be at the centre of efforts to bring peace to Syria. “This is feminist foreign policy in practice: Giving women a platform to be heard.”
Massa El Mosselly, Community Facilitator and Trainer for Mobaderoon, spoke of the barriers that local organizations inside Syra are facing, including the lack of long-term funding mechanisms allowing them to grow and sustain themselves.
Oula Ramadan, Founder and Director of Badael, highlighted the importance of accountability for Syria in achieving sustainable peace and that “donors and the international community should offer their support to the justice and accountability efforts that are taking place inside the country and elsewhere.” She added that, “Fostering grassroots organizations and solidarity from other organizations like Kvinna till Kvinna is one of the most successful efforts in the past years.”
Berivan Hussein, from the Women’s Council in North and East Syria, emphasized the urgency “to maintain the international support for Syria, to keep it on the agenda, and find a political solution to the crisis that guarantees the rights of all community members.”
Marie Wikström, Kvinna till Kvinna’s Middle East Director, concluded by calling for greater lobbying efforts for increased funding, “It is, to be honest, a shamefully small amount that goes to the women’s movement in Syria, despite knowing how essential women-led organizations are.”
In the closing of the event Charlotta Sparre said, “It is humbling to listen and to learn about the impressive work that is carried out by women’s organisations, in challenging circumstances.”
For more about the event, please see this document by Kvinna till Kvinna.
