Three Syrian ladies with three totally different stories. But there is one thing they have in common: they haven’t given up on Syria yet. From Syria but also from surrounding countries, these women fight against terrorism, extremism and conservatism. They are firmly committed to peace and women’s rights. At the Humanity House Zaina, Thanaa and Lubna share their stories, show short films on activism and the war in Syria, and talk about the women’s role in the peace process in their country.
According to a research from the International Peace Institute from 2015, peace agreements are 35 per cent more likely to succeed when women are involved. Nevertheless, the role of women in the peace talks for Syria is marginal. What does it take to change this? How is the role of women different from that of male activists? And how can Dutch policy makers and NGOs support female activists best?
About the speakers
- Zaina Erhaim is a Syrian journalist. She received multiple awards in 2016. Among them the Index on Censorship ‘Freedom of Expression Award’, the Press Freedom Prize of Reports Without Borders and the The Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. Arabian Business and Unsung Heroes has proclaimed her one of the hundred most powerful Arab women. The past four years she has worked as a Syrian project coordinator for IWPR, for which she trained more than 100 media activists. She has also made a series of short films named Syria’s Rebellious Women.
- Thanaa Jebbi is a math teacher and still lives in Idlib (Syria). She works for several different NGOs and on The Ark’s Anti-Violence Program. She also wrote for the IWPR website Syria Stories.
- Lubna Al-Kanawati was the project manager of Women Now for Development organization in Damascus and Idlib. At the moment she coordinates the Women Now Office in Gaziantep (Turkey).
About this program
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting and the Humanity House initiate this program. The IWPR has been supporting women throughout Syria over the last four years.
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