This report is about putting into action what the international community has been promising for years: to bring the interests of women and girls—those disproportionally impacted by conflict—from the margins of service provision to the mainstream of humanitarian programming. This report synthesizes information from interactions with thousands of women and girls in the region since the Syrian crisis began. It amplifies their voices and sheds light on their plight and circumstances. It provides recommendations on ways to make a difference in their lives immediately. Syrian women and girls deserve more than rhetoric; they deserve action.

The issues brought to light in this report were gathered and analyzed based on materials and information from programs in 64 communities within Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey implemented by more than 260 International Rescue Committee staff and volunteers focused specifically on women’s protection and empowerment activities. In addition, from May 18 to July 1, 2014, the IRC spoke with 198 Syrian women, adolescent girls and men displaced by the conflict. The primary goal of these interviews and focus groups was to understand the challenges facing displaced women and girls in the region, as expressed in their own words, and how they managed and coped with them.

Available documents & links