“I have been crocheting since I was in the second grade. I learned it from my grandmother. I remember during family gatherings, all the women were always working on a piece, and they exchanged ideas and techniques while drinking coffee and conversing at the same time. It taught me from a very young age to always strive to be productive,” said Fatima Babat, a 58-year-old woman from Quneitra in southern Syria.

Over 12 years of protracted crisis has left close to 90 per cent of the population in Syria living below the poverty line. The Syrian economy is subject to repeated shocks, increasing humanitarian needs, reaching an all-time high and worryingly limited livelihood opportunities. According to the UN, about 70 per cent of the total population will be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2024. Unfortunately, women bear a disproportionate burden of hardships.

Fatima was operating from her home and selling her products to a wide network of neighbours, friends, and family, in addition to a few retailers and shop owners in Damascus. She also participated in many bazaars and markets. “During the crisis, I had to flee my home several times for months at a time. We would come back to an empty and looted home every time. My husband passed away a few years ago. We were together the last time we fled our home, but then I came back alone to an empty home. Empty in every sense of the word. I had an electric knitting machine that was looted the first time we fled,” said Fatima as she tried to hide her tears.

The participation of women in the labour force in Syria remains alarmingly low, with only 17 per cent engaged in formal employment compared to 83 per cent of men[1]. This stark disparity is fueled by the lack of economic opportunities and limited access to financing, perpetuating a distressing cycle of poverty and gender inequality. Furthermore, women encounter significant societal and cultural barriers that restrict their pursuit of entrepreneurial ventures. 

“I got married later in life when I was 36 and never had children. I honestly wish I never married because although my late husband, God bless his soul, was an amazing man, I had to deal with other family members who were very critical of my work outside the house,” said Fatima.

Fatima was studying for her ninth-grade exams when she had an accident with a kerosene burner and was hospitalised with severe burns. “I had to undergo several operations. This is the beautified version of me after many plastic surgeries,” she said, smiling sarcastically, referring to her scars. “Because of that, I failed my exams that year and had to settle for a technical school where I graduated as an Assistant Electrical Engineer. Although it was not my first choice, I made the best of it, and till today, I still use my knowledge to fix home appliances by myself. At some point, I even used the copper wiring from motors that I could not fix to make some jewellery and small artifacts,” she added.

After graduation, Fatima started teaching first grade in an elementary school. She also taught literacy classes after school. “My students ranged from 12 to 50 year old women who were eager to learn. I still remember a lot of my students from that time. I saw some potential in some of them, and I volunteered to stay for an extra hour after class to teach them how to crochet,” said Fatima.

Fatima was selected from more than 700 women who applied to be part of the Path to Empowerment project. With funding from the Government of Japan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Syria focused on enhancing economic empowerment through improved access to financial resources and markets and securing decent working conditions for women entrepreneurs in Qunitera. Fatima underwent entrepreneurship skills training with 70 other selected women, which enabled them to develop their business plans. After this, Fatima submitted her business plan and estimated budget, and she was selected with 50 other women to receive seed funding for their projects.