section_path: Formation/Women in government
section_name: Women in government
paragraph_text: Women in government
  
  The initial prime minister and cabinet, together consisted of twelve men and no women. As of 21 December 2024, it had extended to sixteen men and no women. On 22 December, Aisha al-Dibs, a human rights activist, was appointed as the first woman minister in the cabinet, as Head of Women's Affairs. On 30 December, Maysaa Sabreen was appointed as Syria's first female head of the Central Bank of Syria. Sabreen had been the first deputy director of the bank during the final stages of Assad's rule. On 31 December 2024, Syrian transitional government appointed Muhsina al-Mahithawi, a Druze female activist who participated in the anti-Assad Southern Syrian protests, as the governor of Suwayda Governorate. For comparison, the previous Ba'athist cabinet had three female ministers, Lubanah Mshaweh, Diala Barakat, and Lamia Chakkour, out of 29 ministers.
  
  On 18 December, HTS spokesperson Obaida Arnaout gave an interview in which he stated that "the essence of women and their biological and psychological nature do not fit all positions, such as the Ministry of Defense," and, "As for women's representation in ministerial and parliamentary roles, we believe that this matter is premature and should be left to legal and constitutional experts who will work on rethinking the structure of the new Syrian state." There was widespread criticism online in reaction to Arnaout's statement. Researcher Milena Zain al-Din from Damascus University disagreed with the spokesperson's statement, stating, "We, the young women and women of Syria, are activists, politicians, human rights advocates, journalists, economists, academics, workers, and homemakers. Obeida Arnaout's rhetoric is unacceptable. The Syrian woman, who has struggled and endured alongside millions of Syrian women, is not waiting for you to choose a place or role for her that aligns with your mindset for building our nation."
  
  Following the controversy of Arnaout's comments, the transitional government announced the establishment of the Women's Affairs Office four days later and Aisha al-Dibs' appointment as a minister of the Offices. A week later, on 29 December, al-Dibs' statements on women's rights, in which she stated that she would "not accept any opinion of feminist organizations or others that contradict the government's ideological orientation, or are incompatible with the government model" were widely criticized by Syrians.
  
  In early 2025, Arnaout made another statement in an interview with a Lebanese TV channel, where he stated that, according to him, though women "certainly have the right to learn and receive education in any field", that "for women to assume judicial authority" would be placed under "closer examination and study by specialists". Having doubled down on his stance on women having "obstacles" in the form of "emotional and physiological limitations", this raised concerns that female court judges could be dismissed from their positions and forced to end their legal careers due to the fundamental restructuring of the country's legal system along HTS lines, which could forbid women from employment in the judiciary.
  
  When asked about the situation, Aisha al-Dibs stated that she refuses to comment on the future role of women in the judiciary, which would be determined by a new constitution, except that Syria's future judicial system will be based on Islamic law. Al-Dibs specifically rejected the notion of a secular or civilian judicial system, saying that she would "not open the way for those that disagree with her" when asked if women's rights organizations in the country would be allowed autonomy, accepting only those organizations, whose support aligns with the HTS vision for Syria.