Women Change the Arab Male's Attitude Toward Female Employment

By Dr. Suha Sabbagh

Two years ago I read excerpts of an interview with Um Khalid, a 48-year-old worker in an agricultural cooperative in her village near the city of Ramallah, in the West Bank, where she works with 12 women from the same village. I was struck by the enthusiasm that she showed for her work, evident in this interview with Al-Fajr.

"Now I feel that I'm able to fight for my full rights as a woman and as a human being. I am no longer just a housewife. No, I'm part of the work force which is creating the direct change in my society. I have spent my life raising my children and I am proud of that because this role—raising the future generation—is very important. But this role does not exclude me from others. By being productive, I can also be a full partner in establishing the structure of our society."

Um Khalid was very proud of the canned products of her cooperative, found in every shop on the West Bank. Her self confidence is based on her being a productive member of society paving the way for self-sufficiency for herself and for the future state.

Why is it, I asked myself, that Um Khalid did not go out to work in earlier years? The answer lies, first, in the culture's traditional attitudes that condemn women's work outside the home and, secondly, in the transformations that the intifada has brought about. Today, Palestinians are concentrating upon the domestic economy as a means for national salvation and as a means to boycott Israeli goods. Men were made to see, in a most practical way, that women's paid labor can benefit the whole of society. This was essential in order to bring about the necessary change in personal attitudes toward women's paid labor outside the home.

However, where sexual segregation is still the code, traditional norms prevent women from accepting paid labor. To facilitate a shift in attitude, in rural areas the women's cooperatives have been careful not to violate the cultural code. Women work separately from men, and some cooperatives provide child care while the women are working. Further, the baking, canning and other work women do in these cooperatives is an extension of the work done by women at home.

During the intifada, many men are imprisoned for prolonged periods. Others are expelled, and some are employed in the Gulf. These men recognize that the females in the household have to take over the leading roles, in some cases becoming the breadwinners as well. The women have done this in a manner that does not conflict with the norms of the culture. These Palestinian examples show that when the Arab husband accepts the idea that women's paid labor is not a reflection on his ability to provide, and is a source of pride for both, he is willing to change his attitude.

All over the Arab world, married and single women are eager to supplement their current incomes through paid labor. In joining the work force, women will become less economically and socially dependent on male members of the family. This in turn will improve the status of women and increase their self confidence. By contributing to the national economy, women also contribute to greater national sufficiency.

The first task to change the status of women in the Arab world is to change the consciousness of Arab men regarding paid female labor and other women's issues. And the responsibility here falls squarely on the shoulders of women. The next task is to create those institutions that can provide suitable employment. The help of governments and international agencies is badly needed to bring this institution-building phase to fruition.

Dr. Suha Sabbagh is executive director of the Institute for Arab Women's Studies in Washington, DC