At Least 29,064 Females Have been Killed in Syria since March 2011, including 117 Who Died due to Torture, while 11,268 Are still Detained/ Forcibly Disappeared, and 11,553 Incidents of Sexual Violence Against Females Have Been Documented
Languages
Available In
The Hague – The Syrian Network for Human Rights:
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) today (November 25, 2024) released its 13th annual report on violations against females in Syria, marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The report notes that at least 29,064 females have been killed in Syria since March 2011, including 117 who died due to torture, while 11,268 are still under arrest and/or forcibly disappeared.
The 52-page report notes that there has been an escalation in the volume and range of violations endured by Syrian women, which have torn apart Syria’s social fabric. In addition, females have suffered significant adverse effects in the social, psychological, and economic realms as a result of these violations, in addition to the broader suffering endured by Syrian society as a result of the loss of the vast potential of female victims in all fields. The report further stresses that these violations have affected women’s fundamental rights, including housing and property rights, which have been further devastated as a result of increasingly commonplace criminal practices.
Documentation efforts and international recognition
The report highlights SNHR’s close coordination with various UN and international organizations to promote women’s rights in Syria and to combat the violations they have suffered. Chief among these entities is the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic (COI), the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and several UN Special Rapporteurs.
Figures on female deaths
The report documents the killing of 29,064 women and girls at the hands of the parties to the conflict and the controlling forces in Syria between March 2011, and November 25, 2024, with 22,092 of these female victims killed at the hands of Syrian regime forces, while 1,609 others were killed by Russian forces. In addition, a total of 981 females were killed by ISIS, and 91 by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Furthermore, the report reveals that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were responsible for the deaths of 287 females, while all armed opposition factions/Syrian National Army (SNA) killed another 1,325. Lastly, 961 females were killed in attacks by the US-led International Coalition forces, while 1,718 were killed by other parties.
Figures on arrests and other violations
With regard to arrest/detention, enforced disappearance, and torture, the report notes that no fewer than 11,268 of the females arrested since March 2011 are still detained and/or forcibly disappeared at the hands of the parties to the conflict and the controlling forces as of November 25, 2024, being divided as follows: 8,979 females are still detained and/or forcibly disappeared by Syrian regime forces, 49 by HTS, 983 by SDF, 981 by all armed opposition factions/SNA, and 276 by ISIS.
Female deaths due to torture
The report documents the deaths of 117 females due to torture in Syria since March 2011, including 97 who died in Syrian regime detention centers, 14 who died in ISIS detention centers, two who died in SDF detention centers, two who died in armed opposition/SNA detention centers, and one who died in an HTS detention center. Lastly, one female died due to torture at the hands of other parties.
Sexual violence
SNHR has documented at least 11,553 incidents of sexual violence against females, including girls under the age of 18, by the parties to the conflict and controlling forces in Syria since March 2011 up until November 25, 2024. Of these, the Syrian regime was responsible for 8,024 incidents of sexual violence (including 443 against female children), with ISIS being responsible for 3,487 other incidents (including 1,036 against female children), HTS for two, all armed opposition factions/SNA for 21, and the SDF for 19 (including two such attacks against female children).
Violations continue in 2024
The report stresses that 2024 saw more grave violations against women and girls, including:
- Killing and maiming: This includes inflicting serious injuries or permanent disabilities.
- Arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearance: Women were targeted for intimidation or to apply pressure.
- Torture and sexual violence: Exacerbating psychological and social suffering.
The incidents documented show that the ongoing conflict is exacerbating the suffering of women and girls and intensifying the already devastating impact of the conflict on their daily lives and futures.
Consistent regime strategy in arresting and forcibly disappeared females since March 2011
The regime has adopted a deliberate approach to targeting women through arrests and enforced disappearance since March 2011. These strategies aim to intimate and consolidate control. Most of the females arrested have subsequently gone on to be categorized as forcibly disappeared.
Main patterns of targeting females
As SNHR’s database attests, women have been targeted under various pretexts, including gender-based, sectarian-based, and region-based violence, as well as over their roles in civilian, media, and human rights activities, and their participation in peaceful protests and humanitarian efforts.
Widespread torture and detention centers unfit to hold females
Women who are detained in regime detention centers face an interconnected series of violations, including various forms of widespread physical, psychological, and sexual torture. Reports have shown that as many as 72 methods of torture are used in regime detention centers amid inhumane detention conditions that include overcrowding, deliberate medical negligence, and depriving women detainees of the most basic standards of hygiene and ventilation.
Deaths of more forcibly disappeared persons acknowledged
Since 2018, SNHR has been able to document cases of forcibly disappeared persons, including females, being registered dead in the civil registry records by the Syrian regime, without the regime revealing the cause of death or returning the victims’ bodies to their families. A total of 23 cases of the registration of forcibly disappeared females’ deaths have been documented since 2018 up until November 25, 2024.
Violations persist despite international instruments
Despite the existence of an international legal framework designed to protect human rights, particularly women’s and children’s rights, the report stresses that violations against females in Syria have persisted for over 13 years. The report notes that some of these violations, such as extrajudicial killing, torture, and child conscription, qualify as crimes against humanity, while others qualify as war crimes when committed in the context of the armed conflict, as well as being grave violations of international human rights law.
Recommendations to limit females’ suffering in Syria
The report calls on all parties to the conflict to:
- Adhere to international human rights law and the UN Convention on the Political Rights of Women, and end targeting of women and girls as well as attacks on schools, hospitals, and populated civilian areas.
- Release detained females, end their torture, and separate female children from adult women in detention centers
- End the use of civilian facilities for military purposes.
- Provide psychological support for female survivors of violence and abuse, particularly those who have been subjected to sexual violence.
Calls for the international community
The report calls on the international community and UN Security Council to take a number of urgent actions, including:
- Impose sanctions on the individuals and entities responsible for violations against females.
- Support women’s protection programs in neighboring countries.
- Provide support and protection for internally displaced women and women refugees.
- Condemn the states supporting the Syrian regime for continuing to support the regime despite its contravening the UN Convention on the Political Rights of Women.
- Meet the financial pledges made to support relief and protection programs aimed at women and children.
Conclusion
The report provides a number of additional recommendations to improve the situation of affected females and protect their fundamental rights, while underlining the importance of international accountability for perpetrators of these and all other violations.