Syria achieved very low levels of achievement in the 2024 Regional Index on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), reflecting severe gaps across most assessed categories. The assessment shows that Provision of Services Funded by the State (54.8%) represents the highest level of achievement, while Data Systems and Statistics scored 0.0%, indicating a complete absence of official mechanisms for data collection and monitoring. Legal Framework and Public Policies scored 26.0%, highlighting weak legislative protection despite constitutional provisions on equality.
Several ministries and national institutions have mandates related to the protection of women and girls, including the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, the Syrian Commission for Family and Population Affairs (SCFPA), the Ministry of Interior, and relevant police and judicial bodies, in coordination with the Ministries of Health and Education. These institutions are responsible for receiving cases, limited protection services, and referral mechanisms related to violence against women and girls.
Syria does not have a national strategy specifically dedicated to combating violence against women and girls. However, the Ministry of Health has adopted sectoral strategies, including the National Strategy for the Health of Women, Children and Adolescents (2022–2025) and the Primary Health Care Strategy (2023–2027), which address aspects of women’s health without constituting a comprehensive VAWG framework.
Specialised services for women victims of VAWG are provided through a very limited number of shelters, mainly concentrated in Damascus and its countryside, with some services implemented in cooperation with civil society and international organizations. Cooperation mechanisms remain weak and fragmented, with limited institutional coordination, restricted geographic coverage, and the absence of sustainable government funding for shelters and protection services.