Creating Consent: The General Union of Syrian Women and the Provision of Welfare in a Totalitarian State

Abstract

This thesis analyses the role of the General Union of Syrian Women as a provider for women's welfare in Syria. Established in 1967 as one of the mass organisations of the Ba‛thist regime, the Union pursued the aim of fostering women's development in a Socialist framework. The case study presented rests on the hypothesis that even in a system that can be considered totalitarian, the power and durability of the ruling elite is based not only on coercion, but also on consent. It is argued here that public welfare represents one of the means to this end. Based on this foundation, this study first outlines private initiatives undertaken by benevolent societies for girls and women in Syria since the early 20th century. It then shows how the idea of creating one single mass organisation for women under the Ba‛th party regimes emerged from 1963 onwards. Elaborating on ideological considerations, foreign relations and the influence of earlier societies and their founders, the establishment period and structure of the General Union of Syrian Women is explored. Based on written sources and interviews, an account of its expansion throughout the country and membership composition serves as the backdrop for an outline of the projects the Union carried out over a period of 45 years in addressing welfare, e.g. through tackling female illiteracy or providing vocational training and healthcare for women. Overall, this qualitative and quantitative approach provides a detailed insight into the Union's genesis, everyday work and impact on the population at large, whilst facilitating a comparison with earlier initiatives to shed light on the way in which the understanding of women's welfare changed over time. In doing so, this thesis contributes to a critical understanding of the functioning of a state which, until very recently, presented itself as one of the most stable countries in the region.

Date of Award	1 Aug 2013
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Ronald Buckley (Supervisor) & Michelle Obeid (Supervisor)