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Syria Restricts Women's University Enrollment in New Rules — AI-generated representative image: Young women outside a Damascus university campus amid new enrollment restrictions on certain academic programs.

Editorial Team

New admission rules bar women from military engineering and defense programs, drawing criticism from students and educators.

Syria's new Islamist government has barred women from enrolling in several university and technical programs for the 2026-2027 academic year, according to documents published by the Ministry of Higher Education. The restrictions affect multiple institutions, including two universities established in July under Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The new rules exclude women from military engineering, legal and social sciences, management, and economics at the National University for Defense Sciences, while reserving several programs for men at the Syrian University for Security Sciences.

The restrictions mark a significant shift in higher education access for Syrian women and stand in contrast to a constitutional declaration adopted in March 2025 that guarantees women's right to education. The move has drawn public criticism from students and educators at a time when the transitional government has pledged to build an inclusive state.

New Admission Restrictions

According to Ministry of Higher Education 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. The Syrian University for Security Sciences reserves several programs for men, although 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 new admission rules do not include a blanket ban on women studying law or engineering, with such programs remaining available at other Syrian universities.

Background and Recent Measures

Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), 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.

Since taking power, Syria's new authorities have faced 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. Four feminist and civil society organizations also accused the authorities in August of restricting freedoms and imposing forms of social control that particularly affect women.

Criticism and Contrasting Initiatives

Criticism has come from students and educators. "No one has the right to force me to choose a particular field of study or exclude me from another," Israa Salloum, a high school graduate preparing to apply to university, told AFP.

The restrictions 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.

What Lies Ahead

The new admission rules are now in effect for the 2026-2027 academic year. It remains unclear whether the transitional government will revise the restrictions in response to public criticism, and no official statement addressing the backlash has been confirmed.