by Mais Katt

At four o’clock in the morning, with my eyes half-open, I was scrolling through the news on my phone when a shocking headline appeared: Assad has fled! I took a deep breath. My heart raced as I searched for more details, and with each passing second, the truth became undeniable—Yes, Syria is free now!

I am a journalist from Syria, currently living in the Netherlands. I come from a family deeply committed to the fight for human rights. For 12 years, I made monthly visits to my father while he was held as a political prisoner in the infamous Sednaya Prison, known as the “human slaughterhouse”, where the Assad regime detained, tortured and executed its opponents. My life as a journalist began with a single act—the moment I wrote my first secret letter to my imprisoned father.

As I scrolled that morning in December, memories from the past came rushing back. I felt myself transported to my childhood, wrapped in my mother’s embrace as she wiped away my tears. She had just returned after months in prison. I had missed her terribly during her absence, when Syrian intelligence detained her as a hostage as a tactic to pressure my father during his own detainment.

My mother wasn’t the only one. Since 1971, Hafez al-Assad the father and Bashar al-Assad the son systematically detained women and their children, keeping them in horrific conditions without trial or even the possibility of visits from their families. I have friends who were born in prison and spent years of their childhood behind bars with their mothers.

A persistent Western misconception painted Bashar al-Assad as lenient on women’s rights, yet his regime systematically oppressed women. Since 2011, 28,618 women were detained by Assad’s intelligence forces, with more 10,000 still missing, enduring horrific conditions designed to silence dissent. Political representation was minimal, with only 10% of seats in the Syrian People’s Assembly held by women. The personal status law entrenched discrimination, banning Muslim women from marrying Christian men, denying mothers custody rights in divorce cases, and justifying domestic violence. The organization Syrians for Truth and Justice documented at least 185 cases of women and girls being murdered under the guise of « honor » between 2019 and 2022, with perpetrators often treated with leniency or minimal punishment.

A woman searches a cell in Sednaya prison. Public domain photo.

Now, the rule of the Assad family is over. The country’s interim leaders are Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a Salafi jihadist group formed in 2017 in a merger of various factions, most notably Jabhat al-Nusra (formerly al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria). In the following years, as the group took control of vast areas in northwest Syria and advanced towards Damascus, its leaders attempted to rebrand, distancing themselves from al-Qaeda and presenting the group as a nationalist force, aiming to avoid being classed as terrorists. This didn’t work: the US, UK and EU have all designated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist group.

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s policies toward women are restrictive, with women and girls over 12 forced to conceal their bodies and conform to the demands of male guardians. Iran-style “morality police” enforce the segregation of the genders. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham have also been accused of human rights violations including arbitrary detentions and the suppression of women activists. 

Since taking control of Damascus, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has sought to project a more progressive image. However, there have been reports of the harassment of women and misogynistic statements —  the official spokesperson for the Political Administration of the Military Operations Authority in Syria, Ubaida Arnaout, said in an interview that « the essence of women and their biological and psychological nature do not align with roles such as the Ministry of Defense.” Meanwhile, internal conflicts with jihadist factions continue to threaten the stability of the new government.

Throughout the long years of war and repression, Syrian women have shown extraordinary resilience and resistance. For years, journalists and civil society activists have fought tirelessly for their rights. Despite facing systemic discrimination, marginalisation, violence, threats, and imprisonment, their efforts never waned. Civil society initiatives, feminist movements, and the work of female journalists persisted, carving out spaces for hope in the face of oppression.

The fall of the Assad regime and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s takeover of Damascus marked a turning point. Civil activism has surged like never before in Syria. Every day, I watch with awe as my friends and colleagues — women activists, feminists, and journalists — flood into Damascus. On Facebook and Instagram, I see them celebrating in the city’s streets and cafes, dancing with their hair flowing freely or in hijabs they chose to wear themselves. Their defiant joy symbolises a new chapter of freedom and determination in a city that has long denied both.

On January 8, The Syrian Women’s Political Movement held a historic press conference in Damascus, bringing together feminists from across the country to discuss their vision for the future. Participants spoke freely and issued a statement demanding gender equality in decision-making as Syria is rebuilt. Within weeks, feminist organizations and civil society groups opened offices in the city, which became a hub for daily activities

Despite the newfound energy in Damascus, scepticism persists, particularly among European observers, who question whether women’s rights will have a place under Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham due to its extremist reputation. While Damascus now sees a surge in feminist and civil society activism, the scars of systemic discrimination remain. Change for Syrian women is long overdue. Though wary of the new faces and their polished rebranding, I am grateful that these spaces for expression exist, even if they prove to be temporary. Alongside other Syrian women, I remain determined to claim these spaces and push my country forward.

This week, I will travel to Damascus for the first time in 14 years. And for the first time ever, I will conduct a training session for my fellow women journalists in my hometown. I’ve titled the workshop « Introduction to Investigative Journalism, » with the hope that it will mark the beginning of joint investigations with my colleagues inside Syria—this time, using their real names.

– Mais Katt is a journalist who focuses on human rights violations, war crimes and the rights of women and minorities, especially in conflict areas in the Middle East and North Africa.

New here?

Impact is a weekly newsletter of feminist journalism, dedicated to the rights of women and gender-diverse people worldwide.

This is the English version of our newsletter; you can read the French one here.