Syria's new Islamist government has barred women from enrolling in several university and technical programs for the 2026-2027 academic year, prompting public criticism and accusations of gender discrimination. The admission rules, published by the Ministry of Higher Education, affect a range of institutions, including two universities established in July under Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
According to the documents, women are excluded from military engineering programs, as well as legal and social sciences, management, and economics at the National University for Defense Sciences. Another institution, the Syrian University for Security Sciences, reserves several programs for men, though women remain eligible to study cybersecurity. The restrictions also extend to technical institutes specializing in oil and gas, railway transport, and radio and television directing. Under the previous academic year's rules, women could still enroll in certain oil and gas programs, including accounting and precision instruments.
The measures have drawn sharp criticism from students and educators. Israa Salloum, a high school graduate preparing to apply to university, told AFP: «No one has the right to force me to choose a particular field of study or exclude me from another.» Her comment reflects a broader sense of frustration among women who see the new rules as a step backward for their educational opportunities.
The restrictions appear to conflict with a constitutional declaration adopted in March 2025 that guarantees women's right to education. They also contrast with recent efforts to expand women's participation in law enforcement. In September, Syria graduated its first class of 150 female police officers following six months of training, a move that had been presented as a sign of the government's commitment to inclusivity.
Since taking power, Syria's new authorities have faced repeated criticism over measures affecting women's freedoms. In September, a prominent Damascus school reportedly announced plans to separate male and female students from middle school onward. In August, four feminist and civil society organizations accused the authorities of restricting freedoms and imposing forms of social control that particularly affect women.
Al-Sharaa, a former leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, rose to power following the overthrow of Bashar Assad in December 2024. He was appointed transitional president in January 2025 and has since pledged to build an inclusive government. The new admission rules, however, have raised doubts about that promise, with critics arguing that they signal a narrowing of women's roles in public life.
The rules do not constitute a blanket ban on women studying law or engineering, as such programs remain available at other Syrian universities. Nevertheless, the exclusion from specific institutions and fields is likely to limit career paths for many women, particularly in sectors such as defense, security, and energy. The government has not issued a detailed explanation for the changes, and it remains unclear whether the restrictions will be expanded or revised in the coming months.
For now, students like Salloum are left to navigate a system that they say undermines their ambitions. The debate over women's education in Syria is unfolding against a backdrop of broader questions about the direction of the country under its new leadership, and how it will balance its Islamist roots with the expectations of a diverse society.