Personal status laws in Syria can be considered to be the set of laws that is causing the most harm to its citizens. In regard to gender discrimination, they have entrenched and reinforced the stereotypical traditional role of Syrian women, limiting them to the home. Syrian personal status laws are based on the principle that the man is the head of the family, which undermines women's rights as human beings. This principle strips women of their dignity as adults, as it considers them incompetent and incapable of making their own decisions. By attributing sacred religious and social value to these laws, they take on the values of the patriarchal system and thus exercise increased control over the lives and rights of Syrian women. They contribute to their sense of insecurity and instability, inhibit their self-development in the personal and professional spheres and hinder their participation in the decision-making processes on both the public and private levels.