December 28, 2004

Palestinian Women Win Big In Elections

The Associated Press

Women faced pressure not to run as candidates in the Palestinian local elections. But they did — and they won, with more than half of them defeating their male opponents in this conservative, traditional Arabic society.

Palestinian women won 51 seats in Thursday's elections, 32 of them winning their place outright without having to claim a seat reserved for women by Palestinian law.

Maisoun Badarneh, a 44-year-old teacher elected as an independent candidate to the council in the town of Yabed, said she faced intense opposition from relatives and neighbors who argued it was unacceptable for a woman to hold a position requiring daily contact with the public.

"The majority of my problems were due to society's inability to accept the idea of women participating in the municipality," Badarneh said, adding that four other women candidates in her town dropped out before the elections due to family pressure.

The role of women in the Palestinian struggle has seen peaks and valleys. Leila Khaled pushed women into the forefront in 1969 when she hijacked a TWA airliner to Syria, and Hanan Ashrawi has had a long career as a Palestinian spokeswoman, legislator and human rights activist.

But Palestinian society has relegated most women to traditional house-bound roles during the two intense periods of violence — the uprising of 1987-93 and the current round, which began in 2000.

Ashrawi believes the situation is changing for the better.

"We were hoping for more, but this is a beginning," she said of the elections. "We're delighted and plan to have a big celebration for the women."

In the village of Abwein, north of Ramallah, Fatima Suhweil, 59, received more votes than any of the 27 other candidates despite religious-based parties campaigning relentlessly against her.

Now she will be mayor of the village, representing the mainstream Fatah Party, which won 12 out of the 13 council seats.

Suhweil attributed her support, from both men and women, to her record in building up and running a girls' high school.

"People knew that I would be successful regardless," she said, adding that she wanted to use the position as a springboard to run for parliament.

The elections in 26 localities last week were seen as a warmup for the Palestinians' Jan. 9 presidential election to replace Yasser Arafat and then legislative elections to be held later in 2005.

Mahdi Abdul Hadi, a Palestinian analyst, said that as Palestinians become more democratic, women are increasing interested in affecting the direction of their society.

"Women are demanding a say," he said.

In the town of Beit Furik near Nablus, Hanan Ghulmeh, 30, was elected as a candidate for the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and attributed her success to her family's reputation for involvement in fighting with Israel.

Ghulmeh said her brother assassinated Israeli Cabinet Minister Rehavam Zeevi, who was shot dead in his hotel in October 2001. Her husband and sister are in Israeli jails for carrying out attacks and her brother-in-law was killed in clashes with troops.

"I suppose people respect us, and voted for me, for what we have done for the (Palestinian) cause," she said.

But despite her militant roots, Ghulmeh wants to push a different agenda.

"Not everyone in the family have to be military men. I can serve my people on the social and political level and be just as effective," she said. "I wanted to be in a more powerful position so that I could help women and kids."