Women’s Concerns about Returning to Syria: Security, Education and Lack of Social Support Stand Out

Sunday, December 8 was a remarkable day for Syrians living in Turkey. With the collapse of the 61-year rule in Syria, some important changes have taken place. While these developments and the international mobilization signaled the beginning of a new process, they also brought along some uncertainties.

Since 2012, MaviKalem has been working with Syrian women and children. Every agenda that affects their lives and may change their priorities plays a critical role in determining the direction of our work. For this reason, we wanted to hear from Syrian women themselves about their assessments of return.

In the interviews, women who have established a certain order in Turkey emphasized that the decision to return to Syria is directly linked not only to security but also to access to basic rights such as shelter, education and health. Here are the details:

Lack of Security and Social Support
Most women see the lack of social support networks as one of the biggest obstacles to return, in addition to the ongoing security risks in Syria. Many women believe that disrupting the order they established in Turkey would create a new environment of insecurity for themselves and their children. In addition, the weakening of kinship and neighborhood ties also contributes to their lack of social support in Syria.

Risk of Children’s Access to Education and Health Services
Many women worry that their children will be deprived of basic education and health services. In addition to disrupting the children’s existing routine, their limited Arabic language skills are also a factor that may lead to adaptation problems. Women worry that they will not be able to guarantee their children’s future due to the uncertainty of the conditions in Syria and the lack of infrastructure.

Economic Uncertainties
A significant number of women said they had postponed returning to Syria due to economic instability and lack of housing. However, some said they are still planning to rebuild their lives, especially in less damaged areas such as Damascus. The realization of these plans seems to depend solely on the improvement of security and living conditions in Syria.

To read more of the 42 women’s views and opinions expressed during the interviews, please see the MaviKalem fact sheet here.