With the absense of the rule of the husband and the father in the wake of the war that has claimed many many souls, social rules intersect switching them leaving the Syrian family in miseries.
Om Ghanem, aged 50 years old from Aleppo city, narrated to us her familial problems: “I failed to coordinate between my work at school for long hours and taking care of my disabled child, who has left his right leg as his school in our neighborhood Alsha’ar was raided. This forces my husband to stay at home all the time.. the thing increases tension between us”.
War taking place in Syria by regime forces, its pro militias and its Russian ally, is not only about destruction, killing and arresting; but about psychological affects and deep pain in peoples’ hearts which led to social abd econical effects regarding most stages of their everyday life.
The rate of working mothers recently has increased due to the reteated economy, where this phenomenon was not so common before revolution, as women’s duties were about raising and taking care of her children in addition to managing the house issues particulary in our eastern community which refuses women’s work outside her house.
However, today life priorities force difficult living, specially strategy of displacement pursued on the Syrian land drived most families to poverty.Om Ghanem is not the only one who war has changed her circumstances; Om Ali who is aged 40 years, has fleed from eastern Ghotah along with her husband and three kids within the pursued strategy of displacement to the northern “Idlib”.
She told us with a smiled on her face: ” before I did not consider working; however, I have decided to prepare home- made dishes for citizens and restaurants such grape leaves with rice, Kebbeh, Sambosik and those dishes that required skill and effort, in order to improve our living. I leave my husband and children for long hours.. familial rules have exchanged as I become the breadwinner of my family besides my rule as a mother as well”.
Women are considered war victims. They are not only victims; there are a problem regarding marginalizing their rule in the experiences of displacement and supporting their families, this makes them play untraditional rules with burdens beyond their tolerance.
By Bayan al-Ahmad
Translated by Sabah Najem
Syrian Press Center
