From Darkness to Dawn: A Story of Resilience

“I’m a 42-year-old and divorced woman in a community that does not really support the divorced women,”

she said. “I’ve spent my childhood with eight other siblings in a very small old house. My mother was the breadwinner of our family after my father had an accident which resulted in him being unable to work. One of the solutions to reduce the burden on my family was to encourage me and my sisters to get married as early as possible.

After being married for 14 years, Ilham returned to her parents’ house, divorced. However, she remarried soon after, but only for this marriage to end quickly. Ilham explained that she quickly realized his disrespectful manner. “I found no comfort with him and ended up separating again after only 17 days of marriage,” she said.

After two failed marriages, Ilham experienced significant emotional distress due to societal pressures.

“One of my neighbors told me about group Mental Health and Psychological Support sessions that were being conducted near her house in rural Deir ez Zor, by the Syrian Society for Social Development (SSSD), a local organization partnered with Medair,” she said.

Medair, through a partnership with SSSD launched a project to increase access to gender-based violence (GBV) and other psychosocial services for women in Deir ez Zor. A total of 1,495 women have participated in awareness sessions covering important topics like self-care, psychological pressure and its impact, and gender-based violence. In the sessions, SSSD encouraged the attendees to share their thoughts and ideas.  

“I still remember the first support session I attended, which was called ‘Gender Discrimination’,” Ilham shared. “The session presented ideas about the challenges and double standards faced by women in their society regarding divorce. Attending this made me want to know more.”

By attending more and more psychological support sessions, Ilham started to regain her confidence and learned how to deal with challenging situations in a better way. “I will never forget what the trainer said to me in one of the sessions: ‘You are strong, and you can do what you want. Don’t listen to others’ negative comments. Be kind to yourself’.” shared Ilham.  

After a few months, Ilham applied for a job, and she got it. Fatima, one of the SSSD trainers who worked closely with Ilham proudly said: “Now, we can say that we succeeded. Ilham is regaining her life and reinforcing her belief that gender is not an obstacle or a barrier as she had previously thought.”  

With thanks to ELKW Foundation's support, SSSD and Medair have empowered women and restored their self-esteem. This is particularly crucial after the Syrian population has endured for more than thirteen years of crisis, marked by various forms of distress, sadness, and depression.

Medair services in [Syria, Deir ez Zor] are funded by ECHO, Syrian Humanitarian Fund and private donors.

This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.  

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