THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN PARTICIPATING IN A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE CONFLICT IN SYRIA; Congressional Record Vol. 160, No. 37

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THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN PARTICIPATING IN A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE

CONFLICT IN SYRIA

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HON. ALBIO SIRES

of new jersey

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, this month marks the 3 year anniversary of

the conflict in Syria. This conflict is destabilizing the region and

has created the largest humanitarian crises we have ever seen. Over

100,000 people have already been killed and 9 million people are

currently in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. 3 million

people are in hard to reach areas and over 250,000 people have been cut

off from assistance for over a year. The UN has characterized the

situation as \\\`\\\`dramatic beyond description.'' There have already been

multiple failed attempts at peace-talks and cease-fires. The

international community and Syrian forces must come together to find a

long over-due peaceful agreement and end these inhumane and

debilitating acts of violence.

As we celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th, 2014, there

is no better time to recognize the role of women in these protracted

conflicts. They are not just the victims of violence; they are the

resilient leaders working tirelessly to keep their families safe. Women

leaders, who are pushing for peace can help further peace negotiations,

understand a country's needs for an inclusive transition process and

put Syrians on a path to reconciliation.

While we continue to search for solutions, the United States joined

by the rest of the world must do all it can to have an inclusive peace

process that alleviates the tremendous amount of suffering being

inflicted on Syria's civilian population.

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