Workshops aim at female political empowerment

Mekkeyeh Deghmi, 36, says it is particularly hard for a woman to enter politics in Syria. She would know - although she’s from the small, conservative town of Helfaya in the northern Hama Governorate, she has been politically active since she was 18-years-old. She recalled how, due to prevailing local traditions, much of her family ignored her for one year to protest her decision to enter local politics. “Men will not allow their daughters to stand for election,” Deghmi, a member of the Helfaya town council, said. “If a woman is engaged in political life, which necessitates working with men, her reputation will suffer, and lessen her chances of marriage.” She added, "According to traditional society, it’s considered indecent for an unmarried man and woman to sit together in the same room.” Deghmi, who is married, said she considers herself lucky, having found a husband before entering politics. Many women also point out that, once married, their husbands often disapprove of them working outside the home. “Most men believe it’s a woman’s duty, first and foremost, to be a wife and a mother, and look after her family’s needs,” said Summar Gul Hasan, member of the local council in Hama governorate. According to statistics, women constitute approximately 51 percent of the Syrian population. However, female candidates in 2003 local council elections did not exceed 3 percent. To counter this trend, a number of workshops are being held throughout Syria this week to promote women’s involvement in the next round of local elections, scheduled for 2007. Organised by the government in cooperation with the UNDP, workshops were held in the capital, Damascus; in Hama, and in Dara, 100 km to the south of Damascus. “These activities are held because the rate of women’s involvement in political life is very low,” project director Majed al-Hamwi said. “The workshops are designed to help overcome obstacles hindering women’s political participation, both in terms of voting and candidacy.” In the seminars, Syrian women voiced their concerns about society's lack of electoral education and the predominance of local traditions, particularly in rural areas, barring female candidates from running in political contests. At the Hama workshop, an Egyptian international expert on women's affairs Salwa Juma'a explained how political participation by women should affect public policies and contribute to municipal, or national, decision making. "Women should be supported to play dual roles – as wives and mothers, and as citizens with rights and duties," Juma'a said. Juma’a outlined steps needed to increase female political involvement. These include the creation of a climate conducive to female political participation by bridging the existing gender gap in education, and a positive portrayal of women and women’s issues in the media.