Woman elected to head opposition council in western Aleppo
The new leader of the opposition council in western Aleppo plans to implement projects to benefit women and develop their potential.
ALEPPO, Syria — A woman is taking the reins of the Syrian opposition’s local council in western Aleppo for the first time in the organization’s six years.
Iman Hashem, a schoolteacher with a strong record of public service, took office July 1.
“I am very happy to be elected head of the local council,” Hashem told Al-Monitor. “I consider myself a representative of the opposition women in Aleppo. I dedicate my victory to all of these women. Although I was running this election in a conservative society, I have not encountered difficulties for being a woman. The people around me are very supportive, especially my family and my husband.”
The council manages the six districts in the city’s western suburbs still controlled by the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA). In December 2016, President Bashar al-Assad’s forces captured the city except for those districts.
