Diverse women, from actress to jihadist widow, join Syria's new parliament

In Syria's inaugural parliament after the 2024 regime change, women occupy 22 of the 207 seats, roughly one-tenth of the chamber. President Ahmed al-Sharaa selected 15 of these lawmakers, a move aimed at countering criticism over the marginalisation of women and minorities during the post-war transition. The cohort features a range of backgrounds: TV actress Rouzaina Lazkani, who learned of her appointment just days before it was announced; civil-engineering academic Madonna Beshara, now a deputy speaker; Kurdish council member Fasla Yousef, elected from Hasakeh and wearing traditional dress; and novelist and former anti-Assad activist Nour Jandali, representing Homs.

Mirvat Toutou, a former teacher, is the first MP to don a full-face niqab and is the widow of the late jihadist commander Abu Omar Saraqeb. Their presence is presented as a symbolic step toward genuine legislative influence for women and minorities in a country emerging from more than a decade of conflict.