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From Gaza.....Women Push for Change
Saphia Abou-amer
MIFTAH
18.5.11




Traditionally the Gaza Strip has been and still is in many ways a predominantly male dominated society, with women and men adopting traditional gender roles. Men are considered as the main breadwinners and women as housewives, child bearers and caregivers. Still, change has begun to make its way into the Strip, one baby step at a time.

Having spoken to a range of young men and women in Gaza it became clear that this tradition does not apply to all households across the board. More and more women are receiving an education, going to work and having fewer children than has traditionally been the case.

However, there is still a sense of frustration among young women in Gaza. Yossra a 25-year-old employee says she is fed up with the attitude towards women in Gazan society, “You are taught from childhood that girls are different from boys, they are allowed to do so much more than you can and this will always be the case…it is just so frustrating.”

Women face barriers with regards to their career choices as well, tells Eman, 24. “Women are encouraged to choose a career in teaching as you do not have to study for too many years,” she says. “This allows you to get married sooner, and your working days are not so long which means you can work easily around family life”. Eman says most women in Gaza are discouraged from pursuing careers such as medicine “simply because it takes longer to complete your studies.” This is not the case for all women in Gaza however, she points out. “I have female friends who are doctors; it largely depends on the family and whether or not they are willing to support their daughters.”

Marriage also plays a major role in determining whether women will work or not, with some men refusing to accept that their wives should work at all. “I do not want my wife to work when I get married. She will find it too difficult to juggle a career and family life; raising kids is a big job on its own,” says 35-year old Saeed.

This is common opinion among many men in Gaza, who lay the responsibility of bringing up the children almost entirely on women. Still, not all men can be put in this category. Ahmad, 22 says, “When I get married I will support my wife if she wants to work. In fact I would prefer it if she worked; both man and wife should financially contribute to the household.”

In turn, most women believe that in light of the growing financial insecurity most people face in Gaza, men would rather marry a working woman. Unfortunately, if and when the family overcomes its difficult financial circumstances many believe husbands would then expect their wives to quit their jobs. “They do not understand that women do not want to go to work just for the money,” explains Reena. “They want to work to feel a sense of achievement and accomplishment in their lives, too.”

Marriage is another sticking point for many women. Today it is clear that more and more women in their mid and late twenties in Gaza have not married nor do they plan to anytime soon. Sammar a 27-year old resident of Gaza City explained why she has refused to marry so far. “I just did not want to do it,” she says simply. “And I still do not want to. I will get married when I feel the time is right and not because I am pressured or expected to do so.” This is a big change from older generations when women were expected to get married at a younger age, some in their early teens. Today in Gaza, many women do not marry before finishing their college education.

Besides the slow social changes taking place in Gaza, women also have a number of institutions and centers to fall back on for support. The Women’s Affairs Center is located in Al-Remal district of Gaza City. The center not only offers support, guidance and advise to women but it is also run entirely by them. I managed a chat with the center’s director Amal Siyam in order to better understand the system of women’s social networking in Gaza.

“Here we support women in various ways. We have advocacy and outreach programs in order to raise awareness of women’s issues in Gaza and to make a difference to their lives,” she says. “We offer training to journalists so they can better communicate women’s issues within Palestinian society on a local and international level and we also train women in film production so that they can produce their own documentaries about the struggles and work of women in Gaza.” Siyam explained that through capacity building, the center helps young graduates develop their skills and knowledge so as to increase their chances of finding employment.

Hanan a 24-year old graduate from Gaza has worked at the center for two years, which she says made a huge difference in her life. “I was really worried I wouldn’t find a job after I finished university,” she says. “But I came to the center and took part in their capacity building programs and decided to stay on because I felt I was really benefiting, growing. It motivated me to take an active part in my community.”

Although the situation of women in Gaza is gradually changing, women still constitute one of the weakest components within society. However, in the three months I lived among the people of Gaza, I have realized that an increasing number of women are rejecting traditional roles and are determined to fight for their rights. Like social transformation anywhere else, Gaza’s is gradual, especially when it comes to women. But it is happening nonetheless.

Saphia Abou-amer is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.








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