“Syrian refugee women are being systematically denied their rights to housing, land and property (HLP). Securing women’s HLP rights in Syria can empower women to have greater control over their situations, alleviate their struggles, and help them rebuild their lives after more than a decade in exile.

Women’s property rights are enshrined in Syrian law. Despite this, family members draw on ‘customs’ or ‘traditions’ to pressure women into giving up their property rights to men. Women who try to claim rights risk exclusion from family support, social ostracism and violence.

This Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) study explores the social, cultural and familial barriers which Syrian women face when trying to obtain their HLP rights and consequences for women’s rights today. It also examines how traditional gender roles have developed during conflict and displacement, highlighting the continuing desire to evolve sociocultural norms, and identifies possible entry points for supporting this, including importantly reflections on this from women themselves.”