MAH Resource Centre (Room 4), University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RH

Chair: Dr Feras Alkabani

Reem Noureddin (King’s College London; SARN UK)

Abstract

This paper investigates the compounded impacts of the Syrian conflict and the Covid-19 pandemic on gender equality in education, focusing on Syrian girls' rights to, within, and through education. Drawing on a realist review and an intersectional feminist framework, the study explores how war and crisis exacerbate educational inequalities, excluding girls from learning and broader societal participation. While girls often outperform boys in school, entrenched patriarchal norms, economic instability, and conflict-related displacement limit their ability to translate academic success into economic or political empowerment.

The paper highlights how the destruction of infrastructure, lack of resources, and the shift to online learning during the pandemic disproportionately affected girls, further marginalising those from rural and impoverished communities. Initiated during the pandemic, this research continues to evolve, now addressing the unfolding situation in Syria. Its findings are increasingly relevant as the de facto government introduces controversial curricular reforms. These changes, which include reducing the focus on constitutional and legal studies and erasing historical figures like Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, highlight a concerning trajectory for gender equality in education.

This paper underscores the urgent need for gender-sensitive educational policies to rebuild an inclusive system that empowers Syrian girls and women, safeguarding their rights and contributing to sustainable reconstruction efforts.

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Last updated: Tuesday, 10 June 2025