The cause of women's rights in Syria needs continuous support. We in the Movement for Justice and Development support the right of women to be free of all forms of abuse and discrimination. Women in rural areas are especially susceptible and need to be supported through dedicated support networks.

The General Feminist Association in Syria has been hijacked by the Ba'th Party and has become a propaganda tool. Feminist associations must return to being independent of the state, so that they will become more effective in championing equality between the sexes. Women should be able to receive the same salary as men, and be able to participate in public life free from prejudice. 

Honour killing must be outlawed, and no leniency must be shown to perpetrators of this kind of crime.

Prostitution is a growing concern in Syria. The influx of refugees, together with poverty and urban sprawl has increased instances of this social vice. We believe prostitution is the worst form of abuse of women, and the solution lies in sheltering young women who are preyed upon and offering them alternative forms of employment. The state should also move against unscrupulous taxi drivers, pimps, unregulated nightclubs and disreputable hotels that are fuelling the prostitution industry.