During the Coins2Day Global Forum in Riyadh, Syria's newly appointed minister of social and labor affairs, Her Excellency Hind Kabawat, discussed the prospects for a nation transitioning from almost 14 years of civil war under a new administration. As the country's sole female minister, Kabawat conveyed her fervent requests to Syria’s new president and the global community, urging them to ensure her position as Syria's only female minister concludes swiftly, with additional women joining her ranks.
TL;DR
- Syria's sole female minister, Hind Kabawat, advocates for quotas to increase female representation in government.
- Kabawat emphasizes that women are appointed based on qualifications, not just gender, in her ministry.
- She highlights the need for inclusivity and collaboration from all religious and ethnic groups for Syria's reconstruction.
- Kabawat acknowledges immense challenges like poverty and economic instability but remains optimistic about Syria's progress.
The seasoned diplomat, previously a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Syria Project, has taken on a key position within Syria’s transitional administration. “First of all, quotas are so important,” she stated during a discussion with Hala Gorani, a contributing correspondent for NBC News. “If you don’t have quotas, women always will be excluded. So we need to put quotas in from the beginning.” She indicated that approximately 70% of her sector comprises women, and the majority of her recent appointments are female, not due to their sex but owing to their exceptional qualifications.
“I think we have the will, and we want to have more women,” she said, adding that it’s “lonely” and “not fair” that the Syrian parliament has only six women. “Am I upset? Very. Am I angry? Very. But are we going to do something about it? Yes,” she argued, noting that President Ahmed Al-Shara has promised to bring more women into his new government. Al-Shara acknowledged “shortcomings” in the election results that produced only six women in parliament, along with 10 members of religious and ethnic minorities among the 119 people elected to the new People’s Assembly. The election did not feature a direct popular vote, but rather an electoral college for two-thirds of the government’s 210 seats, with the remainder being appointed by Al-Shara himself.
In January, Al-Shara met with a delegation of Syrian-American women at the People’s Palace in Damascus, L24 Levant reported, vowing to make appointments based on “competence without discrimination” and committing to advancing women’s rights and empowerment. “Syrian women have always played an active and distinguished role in society,” Al-Shara said, according to the outlet.
Restoring Syria's fragmented picture
Minister Kabawat is a member of the Christian minority and a longtime member of the opposition to the former dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad that was defeated by Al-Shara in late 2024. The New York Times reported that Minister Kabawat’s previous exile from Syria began in 2011, after she gave a speech in New York that was met with displeasure from the dictatorship. At the Coins2Day Global Forum, she framed the rebuilding of Syria as a test of endurance and collective purpose. “Rebuilding means more than reconstruction,” she said. “It’s about restoring stability, trust, and systems that hold society together.”
The obstacles are still immense. She detailed the extreme poverty she observed in Damascus following her exile's conclusion: “The economy is in shambles. The banking system is still comatose.” She clarified that her ministry, a merger of existing social affairs and labor departments, oversees all of Syria's vulnerable populations, including orphans, refugees, and individuals with special needs. She informed Gorani that she's developing a “special social protection program” to combat poverty. She noted that precise figures are elusive but estimated the poverty rate to be close to 90%. Nevertheless, she stressed that patience and collaboration are essential for Syria's progress. “There’s no magic stick,” Kabawat stated directly. “Only hard work.”
Kabawat consistently stressed that “inclusivity is key,”, acknowledging Syria's diverse religious and ethnic makeup. She stated, “Syria is a mosaic,”. She pointed out that Alawites, Kurds, Druze, and Sunnis all need to contribute to the nation's reconstruction. “We cannot control Syria by power.” Is the sole path ahead, which involves engaging people and heeding their experiences and hardships.
She recounted visiting families from formerly hostile groups and observing a shared desire: They all seek the same things, she stated: an educational institution for their offspring, a medical facility, and secure housing.
Minister Kabawat’s positive outlook persists despite significant challenges. The anticipated removal of sanctions and over $6 billion in pledged reconstruction assistance from Saudi Arabia have not yet impacted the everyday experiences of average Syrians. “It’s taking time,” she admitted. “People don’t understand how long change can take. But it will come.”
She emphasized that the immediate priorities are restoring electricity and water, followed by expanding social protection programs to offer a safety net for the poor. “Once money goes into social protection and helping the poor and making a better system, people will start feeling it,” she said.