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Maysoun Qawasmi, the leader of "By Participating, We Can," attends a meeting in the West Bank city of Hebron on Sept. 13.
HEBRON, West Bank -- A new group running for municipal elections in Hebron is offering residents an alternative to politics as usual in the conservative West Bank city: Women at the helm, instead of men.
The all-female list, which is called "By Participating, We Can," is gearing up for next month's vote with a campaign that aims both to win at the polls and to convince voters that women can lead just as well as men.
"Men here traditionally want their women to stay at home, and when they allow them to go out to work, they send them to do traditional jobs like teaching," said Maysoun Qawasmi, the 43-year-old group leader, who entered the race this week.
"But we want them to go further, to work like men in all possible jobs they can," she said.
The group is fielding 11 previously independent candidates for the Oct. 20 vote. Should the bloc succeed in garnering significant public support, the women hope ultimately to unite and form an official political party.
But the women are well aware of the challenges they face in conservative Palestinian society, and the chances of an all-woman ticket performing well at the polls -- for now at least -- appear slim.
Trying to attract other women voters
Qawasmi said the candidates are campaigning door-to-door to attract what they see as their natural electorate -- fellow women.
If elected, Qawasmi promises to open women-only facilities, like a sports club -- an idea that has faced opposition by religiously conservative Muslims in Hebron who believe it is immodest for women to play sports.
She predicts her group could nab three out of the Hebron council's 15 seats, and she has ambitious hopes that after the vote, when the council chooses the mayor, she will be selected for the post.
A journalist for the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Qawasmi also holds training sessions to empower Palestinian women in the West Bank. She wears a hijab, or headscarf, but also dons pants and a blouse, and describes herself as secular.
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At a recent meeting at Qawasmi's Hebron home, the group's members took turns sharing their personal stories of success.
Liyana Abu Asheh, 28, said she worked as a civil engineer, stunning locals by helping pave the streets, and now runs her own private business. Asma Deis, 38 and recently widowed, said she's opening a small cleaning materials factory on her own to support her five children.
"Women can make the impossible possible," Deis said.
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Politically active
While Qawasmi's bloc is unique in its composition, women have long been politically active in Palestinian politics, and some hold office in the government run by the Palestinian Authority. There are six female ministers in the 24-member Cabinet of Western-backed Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. In the 132-member Palestinian legislative council, there are 17 female lawmakers.
But other indicators show that women in Palestinian society have largely retained traditional roles. Only 16 percent of women in the West Bank are employed, and in Hebron the number drops to 10 percent. If the women's bloc were to win seats, it would likely challenge taboos in Hebron and beyond.
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Members of "By Participating, We Can," attend an election meeting in the West Bank city of Hebron.
These elections are the first in the city of 200,000 since 1976. Local polls held elsewhere in 2005 were cancelled in Hebron, and current mayor Zoher Esaili was installed by Fatah in a bid to prevent its rival Hamas, an Islamist group which has broad support in the city, from winning the post.
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Hamas and Fatah had a violent falling out in 2007, and now separately govern the West Bank and Gaza Strip, respectively.
Qawasmi's group is up against a Fatah list and independents. Hamas is likely to sit out the vote pending reconciliation with Fatah, which could slightly increase Qawasmi's chances.
Skepticism
Highlighting the challenge the party faces before the vote, even female Hebron residents were skeptical of the all-woman group.
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"It's a daring step. I'm proud of them, but to be practical I will vote for another party headed by a man," said Rawya Sarsour, a first-year university student.
Construction worker Ali Nathshe was blunt about his opposition: "They will fail."
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Even if the group does not make it into the council, Qawasmi believes her campaign will still emerge victorious by showing that women can indeed lead just as well as men.
"We will open the door for women in Hebron to struggle for their rights," Qawasmi said.
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Thr Moslem Brotherhood won't like this!
I truly hope they succeed without being executed by the men of Islam. The fact the Muslim Men are so afraid of their women is valid since they have been dominated as a subservient group is a good reason to be afraid. When a group of people are used to treating others with barbarous act, as is demonstrated in history, the aggressors naturally feel they will be met with the same level of compassion they show others.
This was demonstrated in WW2 when the Americans were gradually moving towards Japan. The Emperial Army had murdered, raped and generally slaughtered all the people they came into contact with. so the Women and civilian population were told they would be treated the same way if captured. The result was mass suicides on the Islands that fell as the Americans came closer to Japan.
The Islamic religion is based on domination through fear of death, not the promise of life. Their edicts say that they are not to expect rewards in life, but in death. The hypocrisy is that the wealthy classes in Islam reach for the extravagance's of the Western culture to the extreme as was seen with Saddam's Gold toilets.
The thought process of women is noted to be more pragmatic than the male brain. The Islamic religion by the exclusion of women have deprived themselves of an important part of their culture. Men tend to think with their pe-is and Muslim men, being the true believers, blame women for their inadequacies in moral values. The mindset is kind of like to old saying, "The Devil Made me do it". That is why a married woman who survives being raped is considered to be a sinner and is put to death for fornication and infidelity.
I believe the West should support these "grass roots" women to the point of armed protection. Lets insure the live long enough to at least see how they think and act.
Lazarus
Watch Barry and Hillary and Susan Rice support this and then watch it turn into another disappointed example of the "Arab Spring." Or as they like to refer to it: the American Fall.
Leave it to Arab women to lead a movement for change. I wish them well. If there's any chance of peace between them and Israel, women will have to be more assertive with their cowardly male counterparts.
We the west,wish you well in your endeavors.No,you are not welcome here
The PA and Hamas use the tools of democracy when it pleases them. Abbas was elected president in 2005 for a four-year term. He unilaterally extended his term without elections and is now entering the eighth year of his four-year term. Hamas in Gaza is no better.
These local elections will not get near the seats of power.
These Palestinian women should be very careful..their "men" will not take kindly to this..get ready to see acid attacks, honour killings, rape..etc. I treat my dog better than these people treat their women..very sad..but what can we do..
This makes sense --Though muslim men probably not exactly thrilled with it...
For example, if isreali women participate in isreali politics and make decisions, I am sure palestinian issue was resolved by now and palestinians had a country.
Isreali women are much more democratic and reconciliatorynad very likely smarter than the isreali men.