The Syrian Initiative to Combat Statelessness 56 lution. Only nine replied that they were aware of a memorandum that has been submitted to the People’s Assembly and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor to amend the legislative decree on Syrian nationality, in addition to an advocacy campaign to support that amendment. Do you know what solutions were put forward previously? Female Male 6 3 20 20 No Yes In order to go deeper and find out why solutions had not been formulated to help solve the problem of statelessness before the Syrian Revolution, the open question was posed, and accordingly, respondents therefore mentioned several reasons: - The regime’s desire to strengthen the male role in the Syrian regime itself. - The Syrian regime has maintained the political position of preventing Kurds and Palestinians from acquiring Syrian citizenship for their children if they marry a woman of Syrian nationality. - The increase in the number of violations, and occupation of the authorities in responding to emergency situations only, and not considering the issue of statelessness among their priorities. - The inability of stateless people to communicate their needs and demands properly, and civil society organizations’ lack of interest in the problem of statelessness. - The problem was not highlighted enough, as it was not a priority. - The weak role of civil society and human rights institutions, and their inability to pressure State institutions. - Patriarchal culture is deeply rooted in Syrian society. - The religious reference that Syrian regime clings to, despite its claim of being secular. - Syrian regime wants to exclude certain Syrian sects (Kurds).