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Article Draft: General Union of Syrian Women

Section: History/Past Activity

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History and Past Activity

In 1963, the Ba’th Arab Socialist Party became the ruling party of Syria. The Ba’th’s own constitution aims for social and political reform, one of these reforms being an equality between women and men. Once the government made the reform program national in 1970, Islamic law and the secular views of the party began working hand in hand. Because of this, Syrian women’s rights were placed on the forefront. Syria is fairly ahead of other Arab countries with equal rights for women. As a result, The General Union of Syrian Women was formed to keep the issue of equality for women a priority. The General Union of Syrian Women was a newer formation of the Women's Union that had been formed before the Ba'th party gained control. To sum this up, in 1968, the Women's Union was included in the Ba'ath party structure as the General Union of Syrian Women. However, because the General Union of Syrian Women is now tied to the Ba’th Party, it has an advantage over other women’s organizations who are not solidified by the legality that GUSW is. GUSW receives state funding from the Ba'th Party. Other organizations are considered illegal and struggle to make progress because they must do so in secrecy. Those organizations have trouble operating without the help of GUSW.

The General Union of Syrian Women’s (GUSW) past work includes fighting for literacy, and equipping women with skills to enter the workforce. Women who want to work to support their families but do not have the skills can take courses and training through the GUSW in order to be employable. Illiteracy is a large issue in Syria that GUSW addresses. When the General Union of Syrian Women was founded, 80 percent of women in rural areas were illiterate. By 1992, the total illiteracy rate was down immensely to only 30.6 percent .As of 2004, the General Union of Syrian Women had taken part in organizing 343 day care centers for children, as well as training centers for women in varying skill sets in each governorate of Syria. The union also took part in educating women about health, education, literacy, legal awareness, violence, and much more. Much of this work involves educating women about their rights so that they can take steps towards the equality that the Ba’th constitution ensures them.