"The Unknowns of the Female Minister Appointed by Ahmet Şara in the Cabinet"

30.03.2025 11:10

The new cabinet headed by President Ahmed Shara in Syria has been announced. The most notable figure in the cabinet is Hind Kabawat, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, who is recognized in the Christian community and known for her feminist identity. In 2015, Kabawat also changed her Facebook profile picture to a rainbow format in support of the LGBT community.

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After the 61-year Ba'ath regime was overthrown in the people's palace in Damascus, the capital of Syria, a swearing-in ceremony was held for the first cabinet established under the presidency of Ahmad Shara. In his opening speech at the ceremony, Shara stated, "Today is the day we have begun to walk towards a future we deserve, with the strength we draw from our past, with a strong will and determination."

DETAILS OF THE NEW CABINET

The cabinet includes notable figures such as Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat, known in the Christian community and for her feminist identity, Minister of Agriculture Emced Bedr from Suwayda, where the Druze population is dense, Minister of Education Terko from the Afrin region, and Yarub Bedir, who served as Minister of Transport from 2006 to 2011 from the predominantly Alawite region of Latakia. However, the absence of any Turkmen representatives in the new cabinet was met with backlash from the Turkmen community. Meanwhile, it was noted that the Intelligence Chief Enes Hattab took over the position of Minister of Interior, while the same individuals continued in the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

The unknowns of the female minister appointed by Ahmad Shara

WHO IS HIND KABAVAT

Born in 1974 in India, Hind Kabawat grew up in Syria. A Syrian-born Canadian lawyer and peace activist, Kabawat is the most prominent figure in Shara's cabinet. She serves as the Director of Interfaith Dialogue and Peace Studies at George Mason University. She also held the position of vice president at the Geneva Office of the Syrian Negotiation Commission and played an active role in the Syrian peace negotiations.

STUDIED AT DAMASCUS UNIVERSITY

After receiving her education in economics at Damascus University, Kabawat studied law at Beirut Arab University and completed her master's degree in international relations at Tufts University. She also participated in negotiation and leadership programs at the University of Toronto and Harvard University.

KNOWN FOR THE "TRANSFORMATION THROUGH PEACE" APPROACH

Since 2004, Kabawat has been working on interfaith dialogue and women's rights in Syria, providing training to women and peace volunteers in refugee camps. She is among the founders of the women's center called Tastakel and is known for her "transformation through peace" approach. In 2007, Kabawat was awarded the "Peace Builder in Action" award by the Tanenbaum Center and received the Public Diplomacy Award from George Mason University in 2009.

SUPPORT FOR LGBT YEARS AGO

Hind Kabawat is known for her support of gay rights. In fact, in 2015, she changed her Facebook profile picture to a rainbow format in support of the LGBT community. This is considered a first in Syrian history.