In Damascus women who identify one another by the distinctive way they tie their head scarves gather for meetings of an exclusive and secret Islamic women’s society known as the Qubaisiate.
In Syria Muslim female preachers will finally be able to emerge from the underground following a decision by the government to grant them official recognition.
Syria has broken a taboo by presenting a high profile study on violence against women, which found that one in four married women gets beaten -- usually by her husband or father.
When Sabah's husband left her in Syria and returned to his native Saudi Arabia, he didn't just leave his teenage daughter without a father. He also left her without a nationality.
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has appointed former culture minister Najah Al Attar as a Second Vice-President, the official news agency Sana reported. Najah is the first woman to hold such a high position in Syria.
