Syrian women must have a seat at the transition table

Syrians have endured 14 years of profound loss but continue to rebuild and seek accountability. Enforced disappearances, torture, and war crimes persist. Over 202,000 civilians have been killed, nearly 100,000 disappeared, and 15,000 died from torture in regime prisons.

The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 opened a path for transition, but challenges remain, demanding justice-based accountability. Clashes near Jableh on March 6, 2025, and rising sectarian tensions forced thousands of Alawites to flee to Lebanon, exposing Syria’s fragility. In response, the EU has taken a measured “step-for-step” approach, gradually easing sanctions while monitoring human rights progress.

Monday's (17 March) high-level meeting featuring the 27 ministers of foreign affairs and the Brussels Ministerial Conference on Syria will further determine the EU policy decisions and reconstruction funding commitments. Syrian-led civil society organisations, the actors closest to the reality on the ground and crucial for the transitional period, are often put in the margins of such conversations. 

EU member states must ensure that those responsible for war crimes and human rights violations in Syria are held accountable through robust legal and judicial mechanisms, preventing impunity and reinforcing the principles of international law.

There is an urgent need for accountability for crimes committed by not only the Assad regime but also extremist groups such as Isis. 

However, justice cannot be limited to the courtroom alone.

This must be part of a broader transitional justice framework focused on victims and their families. These initiatives, along with reparations and psychological support, must accompany formal legal processes.

Justice also needs to be local, there is an urgent need to support community-led initiatives, local truth commissions, and reconciliation efforts alongside international trials.

Investing in Syrian civil society (CSOs) and infrastructure today safeguards Europe’s future security and stability.  The EU’s support for justice and democracy in Syria is crucial to preventing extremism, state collapse, and mass displacement, challenges that will inevitably affect Europe. Investing in Syrian CSOs today not only upholds human rights but also reinforces regional stability and protects Europe’s long-term security interests.

Civil society in Syria needs to be actively involved in the reconstruction of a post-Assad Syria. CSOs are the curial forces who advocate for accountability preserving historical memory and demanding democratic governance. 

The National Dialogue that took place in Damascus showed the difficulties of politically meaningful incorporation of civil society into political decision-making.

And while the event was pitched as an inclusive initiative, not all of Syrian society was represented. The exclusion points to the necessity of a more representative process in which all segments of Syrian society, particularly marginalised communities, should have a place at the table.

Syrian women

A truly inclusive transition requires a framework in which civil society is not only consulted in but also plays an active role in shaping policy decisions, constitutional reforms and governance structures.

Otherwise, Syria will find itself in a cycle of past patterns of political exclusion that severs its population and local entities’ relations with central power.

This engagement of civil society must be structured, with mechanisms for continuous dialogue, independent oversight of government actions and formal power to rebuild institutions in accordance with human rights and democratic principles.

Syrian women have long been on the front lines of grassroots activism, humanitarian assistance, and community rebuilding. But they are also facing fresh challenges in post-conflict Syria, including the risk of gender-based violence and political marginalisation.

The EU must ensure that women have a seat at the table and are key players in the transitional period.

Any transitional justice process in the future cannot be limited to addressing gender discrimination in relevant legislation but must address the systemic discrimination against women, legal barriers to the economic and social participation of women, as well as independent mechanisms towards combatting gender-based violence and justice for survivors.

The road ahead for Syria is fraught with challenges, but it is also one of opportunity. The EU has the power to shape Syria’s transition in a way that prioritises justice, not just stability.