Syrian university restriction on female enrollment deepens concerns over women’s rights
Syria’s Higher Education Ministry announced that admission to law, economics and management, and social sciences programs at the National University of Defense Sciences would be restricted to men.
Two newly established Syrian state universities, focused on defense and security, have barred women from enrolling in most courses, according to reports and statements from Damascus. The National University of Defense Sciences and the Syrian University for Security Sciences exclusively admit male students to law, economics, management, and social sciences programs.
Women are permitted to apply to cybersecurity at the latter. Meanwhile, public universities specializing in kindergarten education, midwifery, and nursing now admit only female students. The admission rules, set by the Higher Education Ministry on September 30, remain unchanged despite international criticism. Human Rights Watch (HRW) warns of a "concerning pattern" of discrimination against women, stating that the restrictions violate Syria's Constitutional Declaration and international legal obligations.
The restrictions form part of a broader trend of state actions that limit women's roles in society and reinforce gender stereotypes.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
