Syrian Women Under Jolani’s Rule: Systemic Restrictions and Repression
HTS under Abu Mohammad al-Jolani controls northwest Syria territories which severely limit women's freedom through religious decrees and tracking programs while inflicting disciplinary actions. Local activists and human rights organizations have documented HTS's implementation of rigorous dress rules alongside blocking people from school or work and carrying out harassment and detention up to imprisonment against dissidents. Women in opposition-controlled territories enjoy more freedom than HTS-controlled zones which impose strict religious law that leads to continuous suppression of women.
HTS implements compulsory veiling standards as well as uniform enforcement protocols against women.
The HTS regime requires women to hide their complete facial features by wearing niqabs when outside while their morality patrols collect fines from non-compliant women through threats and financial penalties. Respecting dress code standards in Idlib costs Syrian women 50,000 pounds which stands as a substantial amount when examined in the context of the Syrian economy. The individuals who do not comply with risk getting detained or face public disgrace. Female students experience university expulsions because of their refusal to wear the face veil which prevents them from attaining higher education.
Restrictions on Movement and Work
Many regions forbid women to travel alone unless they have permission from a male guardian thus blocking their chances to work as well as escape abuse. A 2023 Human Rights Watch study discovered that the HTS security forces deny entry to women who do not have male guardianships when seeking passage through checkpoints. HTS executes work restrictions against women by enforcing a ban that denies them participation in mixed-gender settings and leads to job elimination in fields such as healthcare and education. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reports that Idlib female labor employment declined by more than 60% throughout the period from 2019 to the present because of HTS regulations.Crackdown on Women’s Rights Activism
The systematic punishment exists as a response to women who seek to dispute these rules. The Security Service in 2021 detained participants from the Women’s Coordination Committee of Idlib who supported gender equality because they allegedly promoted "secularism." Three female activists spent many months without a trial based on Amnesty International reports. The activists face various forms of intimidation that includes being called Western agents as well as experiencing smear campaigns and being forced to remain silent. The repressive approach of HTS control has destroyed all existing formal women's rights groups throughout areas they manage.The policies of the Islamic State in Idlib have resulted in major effects on educational opportunities as well as an increase of child marriages.
The educational opportunities for girls have declined because of the policies implemented by HTS. The segregation of schools continues and numerous families separate their female students from school courses because they worry about exposure to harassment together with fear of forced marriages. New statistics provided by UNICEF reveal child marriage rates in northwest Syria exceed 35% while the predation conflict level was at 13% because families face financial difficulties and limited options leading to child marriages. The HTS remains inactive regarding stopping this pattern of behavior while actively supporting traditional conceptions which establish domestic functions for women.
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