Without a Child… Without a Husband… Without a home… And Hope Remains
Syrian mothers have suffered tremendously but they continue to hold on to hope after they lost their husbands or children, and sometimes even both. Yet, we can see a glimpse of hope in their eyes as they are still doing what mothers do, they keep on giving with hearts full of tenderness and eagerness to freedom and victory.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates the number of killed mothers with not less than 5280. Not less than 68 thousand women became widowed and not less than 18572children were killed.
The most painful part is that about 180 mothers have been detained and suffered from torture and abuse. Since March 2011 and up till 21 March 2015, SNHR recorded not less than 11 childbirths inside government detention centers.
Government forces have arrested and tortured mothers in front of their husbands or children in order to claim confessions from them. In other cases, mothers were arrested in order to force their husbands or children to turn themselves in.
In displacement countries, almost 25% of Syrian mothers carry the burden of supporting their families financially since they lost their husbands and the number of childbirths in these countries reached not less than 85 thousands children, where most of the newborns are deprived of their nationality.
Despite all of this, the suffering of Syrian mothers and their sacrifices will be remembered for centuries as they hope that all perpetrators responsible for their suffering shall be held accountable for the crimes they committed, no matter how long it takes.