16 Days of Activism: How couples in Syria are breaking the cycle of violence against women and girls

Since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011, more women are finding work outside of the household as a way of bolstering family income. While this can have many positive impacts, shifts in traditional gender roles can also spark backlash from male family members who feel threatened by the changing power dynamics and attempt to reassert their perceived authority through violence.

The Couple's Curriculum: Preventing abusive behaviours towards women and girls

The Couple's Curriculum project

In response to this, the Syria Resilience Initiative's Building Local Resilience in Syria programme has been running the Couple's Curriculum, an innovative project which brings together couples who want to foster healthy, more supportive and equitable relationships and to prevent abusive behaviours towards women and girls. To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the 16 Day of Activism against gender-based violence, we explore how the Couple's Curriculum can be a catalyst for change when it comes to gender roles in Syria.

Through Building Local Resilience in Syria (BLRS) - funded by the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - the Couple's Curriculum covers essential topics for couples such as addressing power imbalances, improving couple's communication skills and promoting behaviour change to improve the wellbeing of all family members. It is designed to foster relationships in which women and girls have an equal voice, and are supported by their husbands both inside and outside the home. In addition, the curriculum also works with parents to combat early and forced marriage by raising awareness of its consequences on girls' physical and mental health. For Sara* and her husband, these sessions have had a lasting impact.

Transforming attitudes around early marriage

Sara had previously agreed to a marriage proposal between her sister's son and her 15-year-old daughter. She said:

"Initially, I agreed to the marriage proposal because although I know there are adverse impacts from early marriage, I was also thinking there are positive aspects. (I saw) …early marriage as a good way to protect the reputation of the girl and that the most suitable place for the girl is her husbands' home and marriage at an early age is better."

Sara's commitment to the Couple's Curriculum, her motivation to change her mindset and her willingness to take action to protect her daughter was a catalyst for change around this. She said:

"After I became aware of the adverse impacts of early marriage on the health, psychological and educational aspects of the underage girls, I became convinced that negative impacts of early marriage are much stronger than the positive aspects, so I declined my sister's request. I informed her that my daughter is still young and she is at school and not prepared for marriage at this age."

Raising awareness within the community

The couples who have taken part in the Couple's Curriculum have also taken it upon themselves to share information and raise awareness of the impact of early marriage amongst their peers, amplifying the Curriculum's impact to the broader community.

By fostering critical awareness and empowering individuals to challenge harmful practices, the programme has laid the foundation for more equitable attitudes and approaches to gender roles. Couples are working towards a future where girls have the opportunity fulfil their potential, and the power to decide when they get married. Now, Sara says:

*Names have been changed, not pictured