Amid a war that tore apart both Syria’s geography and its social fabric, Syrian women emerged as a quiet force facing challenges beyond description. Many suddenly found themselves the primary heads of households after husbands were lost to the war, leaving behind vast emotional and economic voids. This transformation was not a choice, but a necessity imposed by harsh circumstances; women entered a daily battle for survival, striving to preserve family dignity under immense social and economic strain.
These women bore double burdens: working outside the home to provide income, managing day-to-day life, and caring for their children psychologically and educationally in an environment overshadowed by fear, poverty, and instability. Yet many did not receive the recognition their new role deserved; instead, they often faced traditional social attitudes that questioned their ability to lead families alone.
Also read: https://963media.com/en/16/09/2025/syrian-women-safeguard-heritage-amid-war-and-displacement/
The “Primary Breadwinner”
Dr. Adeeba Hamdan, professor of social sciences at the Lebanese University, explains that the Syrian war places immense pressure on families, especially given their traditional structure where men are seen as producers, providers, and primary heads of households. War disrupts this model and transforms women into the main breadwinners, creating profound social and value shifts in Syrian society. Before the war, women’s roles largely revolved around raising children and caring for the home, with little direct responsibility for family provision.
She notes that this traditional role is deeply embedded in Syrian women’s identities, making the transition difficult.
Speaking to +963, she adds that younger women who lose husbands between ages 20 and 35 show greater resilience and adaptability compared to those who lose spouses later in life. These women, despite hardships, take on the dual role of mothers and providers. Hamdan emphasizes that widows face severe pressures due to juggling multiple responsibilities; working both inside and outside the home adds heavy strain.
She also highlights the social challenges women encounter: carrying the weight of freedom, struggle, and proving themselves as successful family leaders in the absence of fathers. Syrian women, she notes, often overcome such obstacles whether within Syria or in refugee-hosting countries. During a visit to Germany, for example, she observed young women striving to fulfill family duties in societies with very different customs and traditions.
Hamdan further points to the psychological and economic challenges, especially in refugee contexts. Economic burdens intensify stress, while young widows endure severe emotional exhaustion that is hard to overcome, particularly when they try to embody both mother and father roles, often at the cost of forming new partnerships.
Widowhood is among the most devastating social consequences of the war, leaving Syrian families to grapple with immense humanitarian and economic challenges.
A comprehensive demographic survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics, in collaboration with international organizations, found over 518,000 women widowed during the conflict. Meanwhile, UNHCR reported that more than 145,000 Syrian refugee families in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt, as well as tens of thousands more in Turkey, are headed by women struggling to meet daily needs. These families account for roughly 22% of all Syrian households.
The Changing Role of Women
Wadha Fawaz al-Ahmad, a trainer at the Shafak organization’s “Makani” centre in Khan Sheikhoun, southern Idlib, tells +963 that war deeply reshaped Syrian society and women’s roles in particular. Women shifted from being homemakers to breadwinners after losing their husbands, forcing them into new responsibilities and reshaping community norms and traditions.
Al-Ahmad explains that Syrian women, especially widows and divorcees, face severe psychological and social obstacles, including negative societal views and difficulties entering the labour market. These stigmas extend beyond the workplace into everyday interactions such as shopping, fuelling feelings of isolation and loneliness and driving higher rates of mental illness among affected women.
She emphasizes that grief over losing husbands is among the most significant psychological challenges facing widows, with direct impacts on mental health. Despite limited capacity, the Syrian Interim Government has attempted to empower women by appointing them to ministerial and administrative positions, offering employment opportunities, and supporting orphans.
On the international level, governmental and local organizations continue to launch small projects aimed at economically empowering women so they can support their families. Rights groups are also documenting violations, securing legal documents, and coordinating with the UN to create safer conditions for women and their children, according to al-Ahmad.
