No less than 25,726 Women Have been Killed, and 10,019 are still under Arrest or Forcibly-Disappeared
BY:Bassam Khbeyya – Douma 2018
SNHR said in a report released on the International Women’s Day that no less than 25,726 females have been killed since March 2011, and that approximately 10,019 others are still under arbitrary arrest or forcibly-disappeared.
The report notes that the Syrian woman is still struggling to secure the bare minimum of her basic rights, as the pattern of targeting of women in Syria have been worse than any place else in the world with regard to many violations. Most notably, the rising rates of killing, enforced displacement, and enforced-disappearance. According to the report, 300 females, girls and women, are killed each month to a daily average of 10 female deaths. This average reflects a horrifying toll and epitomize that what Syrian women are suffering from is still the worst in the world. The report adds that approximately 2.5 million women have been displaced from their homes to live as IDPs or refugees.
According to the report, the Syrian regime and its allies vastly top all parties in terms of violations against women. For instance, the Syrian regime and its allies have been responsible for more than 80% of all violations with respect to killing and torture, while the remaining parties were responsible for 20%. In other regards, ISIS largely trumped all parties, such as imposing restrictions on clothes, travel, freedom of expression, and social involvement. This distinguish is an integral aspect as it reflects the reality on the Syrian grounds.
The report outlines the most notable violations by the parties to the conflict in Syria against the Syrian woman from March 2011 until March 2018.
The report documents that 25,726 females have been killed. 84% of them were killed by the Syrian regime, while women and girl deaths surpass 9% of the overall death toll, which is a considerably high percentage that indicates that Syrian regime forces deliberately target civilians.
The report adds that 10,019 females are still under arbitrary arrest and forcibly-disappeared, including 8,113 inside official and non-official Syrian regime detention centers, while 311 females are still under arbitrary arrest or forcibly-disappeared at the hands of Kurdish Self-Management forces from when it was founded until March 2018. In addition, no less than 412 females have been under arbitrary arrest or forcibly-disappeared since April 9, 2013, whereas 71 females are still under arbitrary arrest or forcibly-disappeared at the hands of Hay’at Tahrir al Sham. The report also records that 1,112 females are still under arbitrary arrest or forcibly-disappeared at detention centers for factions from the armed opposition who arrested women and girls after raiding government forces-held areas in order to exchange them with women detained by Syrian regime forces.
The report notes that females at Syrian regime detention centers experience insult, slurs, beating, and systematic, brutal torture from the very moment of arrest until they arrive at the detention center, as well as during interrogation. According to the report, torture have resulted in the death of 43 women (adult female) inside Syrian regime detention centers. On the other hand, Kurdish Self-Management forces used the method of severe beating using sticks, removing fingernails, and deprivation of food and health care for long periods of times that amount to weeks at times in the course of detaining women at their detention centers. This resulted in the death of two women at least due to torture. The report notes that torture was used at ISIS detention centers which resulted in the death of 13 women since the group was founded on April 9, 2013 as of March 2018. Also, the report notes that factions from the armed opposition used severe beating, in addition to negligent health care and depriving women detainees from food, which resulted in the death of one woman at least.
The report stresses that Syrian regime forces and its pro-regime militias have been responsible for 7,699 cases of sexual violence, including approximately 864 incidents inside detention centers and no less than 432 cases of sexual violence against minor girls between March 2011 and March 2018, while ISIS, the report says, practiced sexual trafficking by imposing forced marriage on women captives who descend from minor religious and ethnic groups. The group also frequently sold women and girls in slave markets in order to sexually enslave them.
The report stresses that this great and increasing toll of serious violations against women show that women have been, in many cases, targeted directly and exclusively because of their involvement in the popular uprising and the social, humanitarian, political, relief, medical and media roles they play.
The report calls on the Security Council to Issue a binding resolution on the basic rights of the Syrian women to protect them from the indiscriminate killing, ensure the delivery of urgent aids to forcibly displaced women, and immediately release women detainees. Also, the report says that the Security Council should take serious action with respect to this horrifying amount of violations that threaten the security and stability of Syria and the region.
The report calls on the sponsor states to Increase the pressure on their respective allies to cease all forms of violence against women and hold those who are involved in such crimes accountable.
In addition, the report calls on the donor parties and relevant originations to Provide medical and psychological services, as well as rehabilitation and other services in the various fields for women and girl victims.
Lastly, the report calls on the parties to the conflict to spare women the woes of the war by making every possible effort to ensure that all forms of violations against woman come to an end.