Women are playing an essential role in civil defense teams inside opposition-held areas of Syria, according to a report published by the website "Weiss".
Ibaa, a volunteer in the civil defense team in Idleb, spoke to Weiss on the suffering of civilians, especially women and children, under the repeated bombings.
Ibaa stressed the need for volunteers within these teams to avoid the embarrassment of injured women as a result of the bombardments, since many communities in which these teams operate are mainly conservative.
The report noted that in some areas in northern Syria, women are restricted from working due to the fears that their presence will affect the performance of the male rescue teams.
But these restrictions have not prevented women from challenging the oppression in search for new ways to be active within their communities. Civil defense teams in Idleb currently include 60 female volunteers, with 15 more in the province of Aleppo.
Around 2,500 female and male volunteers work in civil defense teams in eight Syrian provinces. Each province requires a team leader responsible for coordination with the assisting NGOs.
During the past year, civil defense teams have saved the lives of over 12,520 people, with 85 volunteers killed during the course of their work.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
