Supporting Syrian Women

⚠️ Escalating Violence in Syria 

• As of December 8, 2024, rebel groups toppled the Assad regime. Uncertainty remains, especially for women and minorities. 
• Over 12 million Syrians have been displaced by violence to date, with over 5 million living as refugees in neighboring countries. 
• Since 2003, Women for Women International has served thousands of Syrians – helping them build skills, earn money, and create new lives. We are ready and willing to increase our services as more women enter Iraq, fleeing violence, or returning to their homes and desperate for a new start.

We are raising funds to meet the immediate critical needs of women survivors, including cash stipends and trauma counseling to freed prisoners who have suffered abuse. 

Your donation will support immediate aid in Syria as well as long-term recovery efforts for Syrian refugees in Iraq.

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What is happening in Syria:   

Over a decade ago, a peaceful uprising against Syria’s president spiraled into a devastating civil war. In December 2024, the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad after nearly 25 years in power was due to a major offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other opposition groups, culminating in the capture of Damascus. However, Syria remains deeply divided, with no unified opposition and ongoing instability. 

Despite a surge of hope amongst the people of Syria, the humanitarian needs are dire. An estimated 16.7 million people are in need of aid, the highest since the war began. Over 650,000 people have been newly displaced since November 2024, adding to a staggering 7.4 million internally displaced people (IDPs). In north-west Syria alone, more than 80% of the population - 4.2 million people - need humanitarian assistance. Alongside the ongoing conflict, Syria entered another drought in 2021 that continues to this day, and faced a devastating earthquake in February 2023, killing tens of thousands. Food and water are scarce, national infrastructure is crumbling and families are being pushed deeper into hunger and desperation. 

Under the Assad regime, hundreds of thousands were killed, cities destroyed and millions were forced to leave their homes, families and livelihoods.  As the nation rebuilds, Women for Women International remains committed to supporting Syrian women and girls who face increased violence, sexual exploitation and extreme poverty. Their suffering is immense, but so is their resilience.  

Meeting the Needs of Women Survivors in Syria:  

Since 2020, we have partnered with Women Now for Development (WND), a local organization that works to provide women with the opportunity to attain better livelihoods. The organization trains, educates and supports Syrian women by providing courses at centers on the outskirts of Idlib and the countryside around Aleppo.    

Through our Conflict Response Fund, we have provided women and girls with vocational skills training in sewing and computer maintenance, alongside business skills training and small-business grants to help women generate an income. Additionally, WND has delivered online training in Math, English, Arabic literacy and IT to women and adolescent girls. These courses focus on helping women and girls gain marketable skills, earn an income and support their families. After completing vocational training, women are also given small grants to start their own businesses. 

Women Now for Development Program 

When women are enrolled in the WND program, they take part in a vocational training course. Over the course of our partnership, WND has conducted the following activities: 

Vocational Skills 

• Delivering vocational skills training in sewing and computer maintenance, alongside business skills training and providing small-business grants to women to support them in generating an income.   

Online Training 

• Delivered online trainings in Math, English, Arabic Literacy and IT to women and adolescent girls.   

Social and Economic Empowerment Curriculums 

• For the first time, we licensed Women for Women International’s social and economic empowerment curricula, which WND adapted and delivered through an eight-month pilot program. Upon graduation, women received small business start-up grants to help them build sustainable livelihoods. 

Emergency Earthquake Response 

• Following the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Türkiye in 2023, we responded by working with WND to distribute dignity and hygiene kits to women and girls in Aleppo Governorate. 

• We also supported the continuation of Safe Space Centers, ensuring the provision of: 

• Trauma-informed counselling services 

• Gender-Based Violence (GBV) case management 

• Basic nursing and first aid training 

• Vocational skills training in handicrafts, with small cash start-up grants 

• Educational training in Math, Arabic literacy, Computer Skills, English, and Turkish Language 

Ongoing Partnership and Support 

Together with WND, we are responding to urgent needs with tailored support for women and families affected by conflict, detention, and displacement. 

• Support for WND’s Team and Their Families: For the first time in 14 years, many of WND team members can visit their hometowns and reunite with loved ones. We are providing psychosocial support (PSS) and financial assistance to facilitate these visits, recognizing the emotional impact of this moment. 

• Mental Health Support for Families of Detainees: WND is expanding its network of trained specialists to provide critical mental health and psychosocial support to families of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons, helping them navigate the trauma of ambiguous loss. 

• Assistance for Released Women Detainees: Many women and girls recently released from Assad’s regime prisons have experienced severe abuse and face stigma, along with the challenge of caring for undocumented children. WND is prioritizing support for them, working with women-led groups to provide case management, cash assistance, safe shelter, medical care, and food. 

Our response continues to evolve as we work closely with WND on the ground to meet the needs of women affected by the conflict. 

Support Our Mission:     

Help us provide critical support to women affected by conflict.  

Your donation could help us reach women in their most critical moments, providing emergency psychosocial support, food, hygiene kits and more.