Women Leaders in Syria in the COVID-19 Response and Beyond

Abstract. Providing a powerful platform to openly discuss how we, as a global community, can advance the role of women as leaders in health in conflict-affected settings is an undervalued opportunity. Honest, evidence-based discussions, holistic approaches, and increasing the visibility of women role models are imperative in settings that are debilitated by conflict and restrictive gender norms. When gender equity and equality are not prioritized, we tend to consciously or not overlook the needs of half the population. In the face of a global pandemic, it is ever more pressing to ensure that such discussions continue and are not relegated. The evidence is overwhelming, COVID-19 impacts women disproportionately, and this is exacerbated in conflict settings. The reflections in this commentary are based on a webinar held on October 21, 2020, supported by the Women Leaders in Health and Conflict initiative ( Abbara et al., 2020 ). The panelists included Dr. Aula Abbara, Dr. Abdulkarim Ekzayez, and Dr. Ola Fahham, and the webinar was attended by 30 participants from across the Middle East and the United Kingdom. We examine three key themes: women's role in the health sector in Syria, education and culture, and meaningful leadership.