“THERE is a silver lining in a country that is completely destroyed,” said Mariam Jalabi — one of the founders of the Syrian Women’s Political Movement (SWPM) — during a conversation marking the first anniversary of the fall of Damascus in December 2024. Jalabi was referring to the opportunities inherent in building a new system from scratch — the possibility that in the hollowed-out shell of a country lies the chance to construct a system that is equitable from the very beginning.

The fact that Jalabi and the other women of the SWPM can find hope in an otherwise bleak landscape of infighting and revenge is remarkable. It is also a testament to the power of hope and the idealism that sustains revolutionary change. The SWPM came into being in 2017 after Jalabi and other feminist activists involved in resistance to the Assad regime grew tired of demanding inclusion in other groups.

Again and again, they lobbied resistance factions to allow women a presence in discussions — most of them taking place outside Syria — about the country’s future. In forming their organisation, they turned the tables and began to hold meetings of their own, highlighting the challenges faced by........

© Dawn