Syrian Women Have a Huge Part to Play – Here Are Two of Them
She corrected Turkish FM Hakan Fidan when he began his statement with ‘Our Syrian brothers…’ ‘And our Syrian sisters,’ she interjected. That was the first lesson.
It really doesn’t matter if she was chosen as a token female participant to prevent the panel from looking like a mannel. I’ve been there, in Oxford or elsewhere, where my gender felt like a bigger factor in my inclusion than anything I had to say. I used to get mad, turning down invitations the moment I sensed it. I don’t anymore. I show up and say what I want to say. That’s me—and many other women—choosing to use any crack to push through and voice the issues that matter. That was on my mind as I watched the panel on Syria at the Munich Security Conference last week.
The panel had three people: Syria’s Foreign Minister al-Shaibani, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Syrian Christian political activist Hind Kabawat. At first glance, she might have seemed like a token female participant. Or maybe she was there thanks to the Turkish delegation, eager to present al-Shaibani’s government as inclusive and open, both domestically and internationally.
But no. The moment she started speaking, it was clear: she was her own person, not someone to be ‘used’ if she disagreed.
Kabawat has spent years in the Syrian diaspora, opposing the Assad regime, working on interfaith dialogue, and supporting the education of young Syrian girls in Turkey. She is also a newly appointed member of Syria’s Preparatory Committee—seven people, five men, and two women—tasked with setting regulations and overseeing the National Dialogue Conference. This much-anticipated event, set for Damascus in the coming months, will bring together 1,200–1,500 Syrians from all 14 governorates, representing the country’s fractured communities and sectors.
On stage, she was direct. She emphasized the urgent need to rebuild Syria’s education and healthcare systems, both obliterated by the Assad regime. She acknowledged those who had helped Syrians when the revolution hung in the air but made one thing clear: Syria’s sovereignty was not up for negotiation. ‘This revolution is Syrian-led, and the transition has to be Syrian-led.’ A message, no doubt, aimed squarely at the Turkish state, whose most active representative sat right next to her.
Minutes later, she caught Fidan’s slip when he began with ‘Our Syrian brothers…’ and swiftly corrected him: ‘And Syrian sisters!’ Fidan laughed, conceding, ‘Yes, she is right, of course, and our Syrian sisters,’ as applause rippled through the audience.
She then moved through the conversation with both grace and pragmatism. Her remarks on the Kurds in Syria must have pleased Fidan, who used the panel to reaffirm Turkey’s hardline stance against an autonomous Kurdish entity tied to the PKK. ‘We are proud that Kurds are part of the Syrian nation,’ she stated, ‘but they can’t have their own army, as this is against our unity.’
She also made it clear that, as a Syrian Christian, she fully embraced the interim government. Addressing al-Shaibani as ‘My minister,’ she repeated, more than once, ‘I agree with my minister…’ It was a calculated display of support, one that undoubtedly served as a legitimizing moment for the al-Sharra government, whose jihadi affiliations remain a point of concern.
Then she had a few words for the Russians: ‘If they want bases and access to the Mediterranean, they need to return the money that belongs to the Syrian people and guarantee full accountability for the Assad regime.’
And it wasn’t just Kabawat. Another sharp intervention came from Farah al-Atassi, whose family has long been active in Syrian politics. Sitting in the audience, she couldn’t resist responding when al-Shaibani was asked whether his government would turn into a dictatorship.
Al-Shaibani’s answer was gold: Syria had a dictator for nearly 60 years, and the West didn’t seem to care then—but now, suddenly, everyone is anxious about authoritarianism.
Al-Atassi’s response made it shine and even got Fidan and al-Shaibani to smile: ‘Give us Syrians some time. We don’t have a magic wand, nor do we have a line of executive orders like Trump to reverse what the previous administration did. Give us time and help us. We are determined to make this transitional period a success.’
Both women, Hind Kabawat and Farah al-Atassi, come from elite Syrian families where politics is second nature. In terms of class, they don’t represent the majority; true. But their experience in civil society and their determination for a new Syria could be invaluable to the interim government. These are just two examples of formidable women shaping Syria’s future. There are many, many more.
The pessimism of the intellect?
European leaders are reeling after U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference and Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth’s statements in Brussels. The takeaway? The U.S. will not provide peacekeeping troops for Ukraine if Russia agrees to a ceasefire. Moreover, both officials warned European leaders to get their act together on security because the continued presence of 100,000 U.S. troops in Europe over the next 5 to 10 years is far from guaranteed.
Very good news for Russia. Very confusing for European states that now have to rethink their security budgets as the post-WWII order unravels.
It’s enough to warrant pessimism and yes, hope is not a strategy. But sometimes, you have to look up. As Bill Emmott, former Economist editor, recently noted in his Substack, there are practical steps Europe can take—establishing a small peacekeeping force, enforcing a no-fly zone—if it stops appeasing Trump and stands firm.
Interestingly, Syrian FM al-Shaibani had something to say about this Western pessimism. ‘We Syrians are living in a country where most of the state apparatus has been destroyed and looted, where people live in dire conditions. But we smile at the end of the day. If the West won’t help—if they won’t lift sanctions completely, without conditions, and reconnect our central bank to the international SWIFT system—then at least, at the very least, don’t be pessimistic.’
A very ironic triangulation
That being said, these are profoundly confusing times. Consider this triangulation which, maşallah, epitomizes irony :
The peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are being brokered by a convicted felon whose sole preoccupation is financial transactions, devoid of principle or historical awareness, and hosted by a regime whose operatives literally carved a dissident journalist into pieces.
Since the Ukrainians were left out of the equation, the task of organizing a parallel, ad hoc meeting with Zelensky fell to a peace-loving(!) and democratic(!) leader whose own crackdown weighs on society like a dead weight. If nothing else, this should remind us how even the most fundamental concepts and values are being upended, leaving us understandably disoriented.
As always a very thorough analysis of the general state of world affairs from you (you tell it as it is: in equal parts hopeful and at the same time completely underwhelming) - it also made me smile (there are so many visible ironies on the world stage right now - you never know what's next, tragedy or farce or both...).
Reading this I am nevertheless hopeful about the passionate and intelligent women (and men - but a 50%-50% parity ratio in politics or anywhere else sadly still appears a remote goal which I would sincerely hope to see fulfilled within my lifetime... I am 48 - we'll see how that goes 😉. It seems crazy that it takes us all - worldwide - so long to achieve it).
Thank you 😃!
I completely agree—whether someone is invited to a panel as a token or not matters less than how they use that space. Like you, I’ve experienced that frustrating feeling of being included for the sake of optics. But showing up and speaking your truth can shift the narrative entirely. Hind Kabawat unapologetic stance on Syria’s sovereignty and her ability to navigate complex dynamics with clarity was impressive. It’s a reminder that women’s voices in these conversations are not just necessary—they’re transformative.