RAQQA, Syria — Independent civil society organizations operating in the city of Raqqa in northern Syria launched the “Nahnou Ahlouha” (“We Are Here”) campaign to involve women in political and civil life and empower them to eradicate extremist thought that the Islamic State (IS) spread and imposed on the city under its control for three years. The campaign, which kicked off in late December 2019, aims to raise awareness among women and rehabilitate them regularly through various cultural activities and dialogue sessions about the constitution and civil action.

The House of Citizenship organization in Raqqa participates in women’s activism and is among the organizations participating in the campaign calling on women and girls to discuss their opinions about civil and political life through dialogue.

Yamam Abdul Ghani, a trainer at the House of Citizenship, told Al-Monitor the status women in northeastern Syria earned after the end of IS' rule and their role in executive councils, among others, indicates recognition of their significant presence and right to be active on several levels.

When IS occupied Raqqa in January 2014, it intervened in the educational system before the Syrian Democratic Forces expelled it with the support of the US-led international coalition in October 2017.