Aisha al-Khatib, a 32-year-old law student who coordinates the Power of Decision Through Women's Voices initiative, opened her morning with household tasks, childcare duties, and a session with the Norwegian ambassador during the envoy's stop in Aleppo.

She later joined dozens of women in central Aleppo for a permitted demonstration, holding a sign that declared Representation Is Not Just Numbers.

The protest coincided with Damascus officials confirming the makeup of Syria's first People's Assembly since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad, a key step in the ongoing political shift.

Al-Khatib viewed the timing as highlighting a gap: although the chamber now features more women than first elected, she maintains that sheer counts do not ensure genuine influence.

The assembly holds 210 seats, yet only 207 members have been seated because voting for three positions in As-Suwayda was halted amid local clashes.

Syrian president names 70 extra lawmakers to the People's Assembly

Under the interim Constitutional Declaration, 137 members were picked via indirect votes organized by electoral bodies set up by the Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections. President Ahmed al-Sharaa then added 70 more appointees, known as the presidential third, to bring in professionals, experts, and groups that might otherwise miss out.

Those picks featured 15 women, lifting overall female presence. Reports now place the total at either 21 or 22 women, roughly 10 percent of the body.

While the additions raised the count, the share stays below worldwide norms and has renewed discussion on whether appointments can offset weak electoral results or merely delay fixes for deeper obstacles women face when seeking elected posts.

The Aleppo demonstration was called shortly after the final member list appeared. Participants contended the assembly still underrepresents the range of female skill and leadership forged during years of conflict.

I joined because I believe change comes through action, not words, al-Khatib told The Media Line.

I felt it was my duty as a Syrian woman to help create space for women's voices, especially after years in which women carried enormous responsibilities during the revolution within their families, at work, and in their communities yet remained largely absent from positions where decisions are made, she said.

She stressed that rebuilding Syria needs justice and democracy rooted in merit rather than gender, adding that women must become true partners in charting the nation's path instead of serving as symbolic figures.

For al-Khatib, speaking out carried special weight. For many years, expressing an opinion publicly was associated with fear and danger, she said. Standing peacefully in a public square today and demanding our rights was an extraordinary feeling.

Asmaa al-Mahmoud, 28, a human rights advocate and governance consultant, said she pursued law because it matched her long interest in justice and public administration.

Like al-Khatib, she argues the matter goes past head counts. We support merit and technocratic governance at every stage, al-Mahmoud told The Media Line. But during this transitional period, I believe a temporary gender quota is necessary.

She noted that Aleppo, the province with the largest delegation, received 46 seats yet only two women from the area won places.

That simply does not reflect the number of qualified women in Aleppo, she said. Women are not decoration. The current percentage is too low to create meaningful influence inside parliament, and the representation does not reflect all segments of Syrian society.

Yafa Nawaf, a Syrian political activist focused on women's political participation, said the numbers reveal ongoing structural barriers women encounter when seeking elected office.

Increase in the number of women lawmakers

Syrian women were active participants in the struggle for freedom and justice, Nawaf told The Media Line. They stood at the forefront of demonstrations against repression, endured imprisonment, displacement, and the loss of family members. That contribution should now be reflected more clearly in the country's decision-making institutions.

Government officials maintain that the presidential picks were meant to correct those shortfalls.

Mohammad Taha al-Ahmad, head of the Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections, told The Media Line that the selections followed powers outlined in the Constitutional Declaration.

According to al-Ahmad, the president chose 55 men and 15 women from varied professional and social fields, including academics, legal experts, community leaders, former political detainees, people wounded during the Syrian revolution, and individuals with disabilities.

The objective, he said, was to achieve more balanced representation within the assembly.

Al-Ahmad added that the parliament stands ready to open its first session, during which members will choose the speaker and leadership, thereby launching Syria's initial legislative body of the transitional era.

The rise in women lawmakers has also introduced wider professional variety, which authorities describe as deliberate to expand representation during the transition. Critics counter that success will ultimately be judged not by variety alone but by whether these women can shape laws and hold the executive accountable.

Among the notable appointees is Rozina Lazkani, 36, an actress from Hama province. A graduate of Damascus Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts with a focus on scenography, Lazkani began her television work in 2013 and has appeared in several well-known Syrian dramas.

Speaking to Syrian media after her appointment, Rozina Lazkani called her new role both a vote of confidence and a great responsibility, saying she hopes to voice citizens concerns and aid in rebuilding Syria during the transitional phase.

The list also features Samira Ayman al-Wattar, a member of the Higher Committee's legal panel; Aisha al-Dibs, former head of the Women's Affairs Office in the post-Assad transitional administration; and Houda al-Atassi, an architect and advocate for women and children's rights who earlier served on the preparatory committee for Syria's National Dialogue Conference.

Additional appointees come from academic and research circles.

Among them is Israa al-Mashhour, an agricultural researcher from Deir ez-Zor who specializes in soil science and plant nutrition. She previously led a department at the General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research and has published in scientific journals.

In a statement after her appointment, Israa al-Mashhour described her role as a responsibility before it is an honor, saying Syria's next phase requires turning the people's sacrifices into legislation that strengthens justice, protects rights, and reinforces the rule of law. She added that serving the country must be achieved through sincere work, not merely words.

Other new members include Lara Qadid, a researcher in higher education policy; Madonna Bishara, a civil society activist focused on human rights and women's issues; and Hanan Ibrahim al-Balkhi, an academic with a master's from the University of Oslo who previously served in both the Syrian National Council and the Syrian Opposition Coalition.

The roster further includes community figures such as Najwa Qassas, known for backing development projects and women's economic empowerment, and Asmaa Farhan al-Sibai, a former political detainee and social activist.

Supporters say this breadth of experience could enrich parliamentary debate, while critics maintain the true test lies in whether women can affect legislation and oversight.

Mahmoud Hammam, a lawyer, legal researcher, and former parliamentary candidate, said that boosting female numbers solely through appointments will not fix deeper barriers to women's political involvement.

The international benchmark of at least 30 percent female representation is widely regarded as the minimum threshold at which women can form a parliamentary bloc capable of influencing legislation and public policy, Hammam told The Media Line. That is precisely the figure demanded by the women who protested in Aleppo.

He said advancing women's political role requires more than adding seats. It also hinges on building a political setting where qualified women with legal, political, and administrative experience can compete equally and reach decision-making posts.

At roughly 10 percent, women's representation in Syria's new parliament remains low by regional and global measures.

In neighboring Iraq, the constitution reserves at least 25 percent of seats for women. Jordan has widened its quota system in recent years, though women still hold about one-fifth of seats in the House of Representatives. Lebanon, which has no quota, continues to have fewer than 10 percent, placing Syria's level in a similar range despite differing political contexts.

According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women now occupy more than 27 percent of parliamentary seats worldwide on average, leaving Syria's new body below the global mark.

Women's underrepresentation is not new in Syria. Records show no women served after the 1947 or 1953 elections. Shares rose gradually, reaching 2.7 percent in 1973, 3.6 percent in 1977, 6.7 percent in 1981, and 8.4 percent in 1990.

Under Assad, women typically held between 10 percent and 13 percent of seats, peaking at 13.2 percent in 2016 before falling to about 9.6 percent in the 2024 parliament.

The question carries added weight because the new People's Assembly is Syria's first legislature since Assad's fall. During the transition it will debate and pass laws, approve the state budget, ratify international agreements, and exercise legislative power until a permanent constitution is adopted and fresh national elections occur.

Aqeel Hussein, an elected member representing Aleppo, told The Media Line that success for women's participation should not be judged only by seat totals.

The real test, he said, will be their presence in key parliamentary committees and their ability to influence legislation and exercise meaningful oversight of the executive branch.

For al-Khatib, the discussion ultimately extends beyond the makeup of the current parliament.

We want women's participation to become the natural result of merit and equal opportunity, she said, not an exception achieved only through appointments.

As Syria's new parliament prepares to convene, the debate over women's representation is shifting past percentages and appointments. The coming months will reveal whether the rise in female lawmakers signals a genuine change in women's role in shaping the country's future.