Between March and May 2025, we had the privilege of facilitating the Justice Innovation Lab under the Syria Justice Innovation Programme (SJIP)—a timely and collaborative process bringing together Syrian justice professionals, grassroots advocates and civil society leaders. Funded by the European Union, the Lab builds on intensive stakeholder dialogues conducted at the end of 2024, where participants identified the most urgent legal challenges facing Syrians and reached a consensus on a key legal focus:ensuring equitable access to work in the private sector, in particular micro, small and medium sized enterprises and especially women.
This initiative unfolded during a period of profound political transformation in Syria. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024, the country has entered a fragile but hopeful phase of national transition. The lab marked the first time that Syrians from diverse regions, backgrounds and religious affiliations came together in one room—not in conflict, but in collaboration. United by a shared commitment to justice, they worked side by side toward a common goal: to make Syria a more equitable and inclusive place for all.
Over the course of three sessions, 11 participants from different regions, backgrounds and communities, many of whom have historically been on opposing sides of the conflict, came together not in confrontation, but in common cause.
This was highlighted by participant Sawsan Fatoum, a multi-disciplinary university professor who said:
“After losing much of my passion, I found new energy through this initiative. It felt like opening a fresh, hopeful page — with realistic, actionable goals. We’re not just raising slogans anymore. We’re planting seeds, and perhaps those seeds will grow into many trees. Right now, our focus is on making today’s goal succeed — and if we can do that, we’ll be proud to have made a difference.”
Likewise Judge Khaled Al Helo stated:
« The initiative’s greatest strength is its inclusivity — it brings together people from all Syrian regions, religions, ethnicities, and even political perspectives. Over the past five years, it has nurtured a spirit of positivity and professionalism, even during Syria’s most dangerous phases. »
With this in mind, during the lab the group co-designed three practical, people-centered legal solutions aimed at strengthening labor protections and promoting dignity at work.
The Solutions in Development
1. Menhella: A Legal Referral and Awareness Platform for Women
Menhalla is a digital platform envisioned to support women facing workplace discrimination or rights violations. The proposed tool would connect users with vetted legal service providers and offer tailored legal information, while being accessible on mobile devices and offline. Menhalla aims to create a safe, practical, and culturally sensitive way for women to seek legal help, especially where traditional channels are limited or out of reach.
2. Digital Legal Support Community for Informal Workers
This initiative proposes a digital support space for women working in the informal sectors via WhatsApp or Telegram channels. It would deliver legal awareness content, foster community support, and seek to evolve into a representative platform for informal workers. Future plans include contract templates, legal consultations, and job-matching support. To ensure outreach to the most marginalized, the team plans to distribute QR codes on bread wraps in low-income neighborhoods.
3. Smart Legal Complaint and Awareness App
The third team is developing a concept for a workplace-integrated mobile application designed to help workers navigate internal disputes, such as unjust wage deductions. The envisioned app will guide users through their rights using AI-assisted prompts and offer step-by-step advice. Importantly, the solution is being designed with offline functionality in mind, to support users regardless of internet access or smartphone ownership.The content will be delivered in the local Syrian dialect to ensure clarity, relatability, and ease of understanding for the target audience.
What Comes Next?
With the co-design phase now complete, the three teams have submitted proposals to receive seed funding to pilot their solutions.
According to Haya Androon,
“Each of us contributed perspectives based on our backgrounds and regions, which enriched the discussion. The team constantly reminded us to return to the human root of the problems we’re trying to solve — to focus on the most vulnerable. Despite my limited experience, I felt proud to be part of this initiative and to grow alongside such a skilled and diverse group.”
Stay tuned for updates as these teams begin the next stage of their journey.
